Rain-battered hills slowly pick up pieces

Met warns of flash floods in Shimla, Sirmaur, Kinnaur districts of Himachal

The rain ebbed in some places in north India and pelted down in others on Tuesday with at least seven more people dead and hundreds stranded. State governments stepped up relief and rescue efforts in the affected districts, navigating the trail of destruction left behind by the incessant downpour of the last three days. Four of the latest fatalities were reported in Uttarakhand and the rest in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab. This is in addition to the 37 deaths reported until Monday. Officials said excessive damage has been caused to roads, bridges and water supply schemes.

In Himachal Pradesh, which is among the worst hit, the rain has stopped since Monday evening and the rescue operations and road restoration work have gained pace. Two teams have been deputed for road restoration, officials said. However, the meteorological department warned of the possibility of moderate to high flash floods in Shimla, Sirmaur and Kinnaur districts. Around 300 people, mostly tourists, are stuck in camps at Chandertal, located at an altitude of 14,100 feet, in Himachal Pradesh. In Punjab and Haryana, the weather cleared on Tuesday.

Delhi on guard, as Yamuna swells

The Delhi government on Tuesday said thousands of people living in the floodplain of the swollen Yamuna river in the city have been shifted to makeshift accommodations in safer places and provided with food and water.

People from low-lying areas surrounding the Yamuna river move to makeshift tents, in Delhi, on Tuesday. Pics/PTI

Saurabh Bharadwaj, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government’s water minister, said the evacuation process was underway. Over 2,700 tents have been arranged for people staying in low-lying areas around the river, he said.

“There will be no floods in Delhi. As the Yamuna levels rise, people living close to the riverbanks have to be evacuated. There is no threat of water getting into residential areas close to the river,” he said. Meanwhile, police said the old iron bridge over Yamuna has been temporarily closed for traffic movement.

LG, AAP govt spar over waterlogging

A blame game started on Tuesday even as people were plagued by multiple problems owing to heavy rain over the weekend. Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena said the city faced the “annual ritual” of waterlogging as drains were not properly cleaned. Delhi Water Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj slammed the LG in a series of tweets, saying he should not indulge in “dirty politics” when people expect relief. “Hasn’t LG saab been claiming that he got all drains desilted and Yamuna cleaned? Didn’t he take media for several visits? What happened now? Now he is shamelessly blaming Delhi govt?” he asked. 

Rs 780cr
Loss suffered by Himachal Pradesh

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