WITH raging waters washing away cars and roads, submerging fields and gushing into residential areas, it was another day of rain havoc in parts of north India, particularly Himachal Pradesh where landslides claimed four more lives and more than 200 people remain stranded. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and assured ‘unwavering support’ to his Government as heavy rainfall caused widespread damage across the State. The PM inquired about the extent of the damage caused to life and property due to heavy rains and floods, an official statement issued here said. Local administrations, NDRF and SDRF teams are working to ensure the well-being of those affected, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

 

Landslides claimed four more lives in Shimla and the Shimla-Kalka highway was blocked Monday morning as heavy rains wreaked havoc in the hill State for the third day, police said. CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said 18 people were killed in rain-related incidents in the State in the last two days. Twenty people stranded in tourist town of Manali were rescued but more than 200 others were stuck across various parts of the hill State, officials said. Three people died after a landslide struck a house in Theog subdivision of Shimla on Monday morning. The incident occurred in Pallavi village and the deceased were identified as Deep Bahadur, Devdasi and Mohan Bahadur, police said. On Monday morning, the meteorological department issued a “red” alert for “extremely heavy rain”, a day after heavy rain pounded the State, triggering landslides, and damaging houses. Officials said rail operations on the Shimla-Kalka route have been suspended till Tuesday as landslides blocked the track at several places while educational institutions across the State were ordered to remain shut on Monday and Tuesday.

 

The Yamuna crossed the danger mark of 205.33 metres in Delhi on Monday as torrential rains pummelled the upper catchment areas of the river for the third day on the trot. The river breached the danger mark earlier than expected. It was predicted that it would cross the danger mark by Tuesday noon. 9 killed as incessant rains pound Punjab, Haryana; Army called for rescue operations: Nine people have died in rain-related incidents in Punjab and Haryana as incessant showers battered the two States for the third day in a row, flooding many places and sending authorities scrambling for rescue operations. The Punjab Government has ordered the closure of schools till July 13 while in Chandigarh schools are closed till Thursday. Haryana too has ordered the closure of schools in some worst-affected districts till Wednesday. In other places of the State, the Government has left it to the Deputy Commissioners to take a call on the matter after assessing the situation.