Rain fury cripples life across north; Punjab sees worst floods since 1988

New Delhi: Heavy rainfall across northern India showed no sign of abating on Wednesday, causing widespread disruption and fatalities in several states. In Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, a landslide and structural collapse claimed four lives, compounding the distress in regions already battered by relentless monsoon showers.

Punjab bore the brunt of the recent downpour, with the state reporting 37 deaths as floodwaters submerged towns and villages, while crops on 1.75 lakh hectares in 23 districts were damaged in what is being described as the worst deluge since 1988. Authorities launched large-scale rescue and relief operations to assist over 3.55 lakh people across 1,655 villages.

Officials in Punjab have sounded alerts in Rupnagar and Patiala districts, urging residents to stay vigilant. As a precaution, all educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and universities, have been closed until September 7.

The swollen Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, fed by rains in the Himalayas, have overflowed their banks, inundating nearby settlements and farmlands. In response, the Punjab government released Rs 71 crore to provide immediate relief and rehabilitation. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal are scheduled to visit affected areas on Thursday to assess flood damage and review relief operations. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will also inspect the impact on crops.

Water levels at key reservoirs remain critically high. At 6 a.m. Wednesday, Bhakra Dam registered 1,677.84 feet against its maximum capacity of 1,680 feet, with inflows of 86,822 cusecs and outflows of 65,042 cusecs. Officials indicated that water discharge was being increased in Himachal Pradesh from 65,000 to 75,000 cusecs to manage the rising levels, warning that villages near Nangal may be submerged.

Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian described the floods as “one of the worst in recent decades”, highlighting widespread crop losses. Among the hardest-hit districts are Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Mansa, Ferozepur, and Fazilka. He detailed that Gurdaspur alone suffered over 40,000 hectares of crop damage, followed by Mansa (24,967 hectares), Amritsar (23,000 hectares), Fazilka (17,786 hectares), Ferozepur (17,620 hectares), and Kapurthala (14,934 hectares).

Fatalities have been reported across 12 districts, with the highest in Hoshiarpur (seven deaths) and Pathankot (six). Three individuals remain missing in Pathankot. Other casualties include five in Barnala, four each in Amritsar and Ludhiana, three each in Bathinda and Mansa, and one each in Gurdaspur, Patiala, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar, and Sangrur.

Rupnagar authorities advised residents living along the Sutlej river to remain on alert following increased water discharge from the Bhakra dam. Punjab Cabinet Minister Harjot Bains personally oversaw the evacuation of families stranded along riverbanks and urged residents to move to safer locations or relief camps.

Political leaders have mobilized resources to aid relief efforts. Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria visited Pathankot, while AAP leader Manish Sisodia toured Tarn Taran. Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha pledged Rs 3.25 crore from his Local Area Development Scheme (LADS) fund, while MP Sandeep Pathak released Rs 5 crore from MPLADS funds for Ferozepur. Balbir Singh Seechewal announced Rs 50 lakh in discretionary grants to assist affected communities.

Rescue operations are being conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Army, Border Security Force, Punjab Police, and district authorities. Patiala district administration issued warnings for villages near the Ghaggar river, anticipating a rise in water levels following heavy rainfall in the catchment areas. Tangri river levels have already approached the danger mark in Ambala, with further increases expected downstream in Patiala.

The eastern states are also under threat. A fresh low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal is expected to bring heavy rainfall to Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, and Jharkhand on Thursday. Odisha continues to experience uninterrupted showers for the third day, causing persistent flooding.

In Himachal Pradesh, the monsoon havoc claimed four more lives near Sundernagar in Mandi district, raising the death toll there to seven. Kullu district authorities fear two more fatalities following the collapse of residential structures, while boulders rolling onto a private bus in Shimla’s Kumarsein area left two women dead and 15 passengers injured. All schools and colleges in the state are closed until September 7, and police units have been instructed to heighten preparedness for rescue and traffic management. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed the evacuation of stranded Manimahesh Yatra pilgrims, coordinating with the Air Force to deploy six MI-17 helicopters.

Jammu and Kashmir also reported casualties and disruption. A mother and daughter perished in a house collapse, while 40 residents were stranded in a flooded village in Akhnoor. Landslides near Reasi blocked access to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, suspending the pilgrimage for the ninth day. Train services between Jammu and Katra have been halted, affecting commuters and pilgrims alike.

Chhattisgarh faced flash floods after part of the Lutti dam in Balrampur district collapsed, killing four people and leaving three missing. The floods swept through homes and agricultural fields.

Delhi has endured intermittent showers for the third consecutive day. Rising Yamuna waters submerged homes, disrupted traffic, and damaged shop inventories, breaching the 207-metre mark for the fifth time since 1963. Over 2,000 residents in Jharoda Kalan and areas of Najafgarh were evacuated after a 50-foot embankment of the Mungeshpur drain gave way. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta coordinated with Haryana’s Nayab Singh Saini to expedite repairs.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is intensifying insecticide spraying in relief camps and flooded areas to prevent outbreaks of vector-borne diseases. Cremations at Nigambodh Ghat and Geeta Colony crematorium were temporarily suspended due to waterlogging, affecting routine funeral services.

Haryana’s Ambala city witnessed severe inundation following continuous rainfall, forcing the closure of educational institutions and disrupting offices, markets, and residential areas. State Public Health Engineering Minister Ranbir Gangwa chaired an emergency meeting to oversee drainage, water supply, and power backup operations.

In Rajasthan, heavy downpours paralysed rail and road traffic in Jaipur, Kota, and surrounding districts. Landslides near Dara railway station halted nine trains on the Kota-Mumbai route, while waterlogging forced closure of National Highway-52.

The Central Water Commission reported that 21 river monitoring stations, including one in Delhi, are experiencing severe flooding, while 33 others are above normal levels. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, and Jharkhand are among the states under flood alert.

The India Meteorological Department has issued warnings of continued heavy rain in eastern and northeastern states. Arunachal Pradesh is expected to witness widespread showers across several districts, while southern West Bengal faces gusty winds and persistent rain. Jharkhand’s IMD centre issued an orange alert for three districts, forecasting downpours through Thursday.