Flood fears ease as rains abate
New Delhi: Rains in flood-ravaged north India seem to have slowed down on Sunday, bringing a much-needed breather for many parts, including Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, which require urgent relief work to be carried out for people displaced to camps due to the floods.
Rajasthan, however, continued to receive heavy to very heavy showers, with the Jaipur Meteorological Centre on Sunday issuing a warning of more intense showers in parts of the state.
According to the weather office, a well-marked low-pressure area over the southern part of the state has intensified into a depression, under whose influence, heavy to extremely heavy rainfall was recorded at isolated places in the southern districts during the past 24 hours.
Officials said the highest rainfall of 210 mm was recorded at Sanchore in Jalore district. The met department further said heavy rainfall activity may continue in Barmer, Jalore, and Jaisalmer districts on Monday.
Light rains were witnessed in some parts of Himachal Pradesh, with Manali receiving 24.2 mm of rainfall since Saturday evening, which is the highest in the state.
Meanwhile, a car carrying three police personnel
plunged into the swollen Kshipra river after rains in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain district after skidding off a bridge, officials said.
Rain lashed some parts of Punjab on Sunday but the amount of rainfall received was evidently less compared to previous days. Punjab has been among the worst-hit states by this year’s monsoons, with hundreds of villages submerged under water due to the swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets.
All schools, colleges and universities that had been closed in view of the floods will reopen for students from September 8, according to the government.
The water level in the Pong dam dropped by around two feet to 1,392.20 feet, though it remained two feet more than its upper limit capacity of 1,390 feet on Sunday evening, officials said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Punjab on Tuesday to take stock of the flood situation, BJP state unit chief Sunil Jakhar said.
Amritsar received 3.7 mm of rain between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm, Ludhiana received 2.4 mm, while Patiala received 9.2 mm rain on Sunday. Faridkot, Pathankot and Ferozepur also witnessed rain.
In neighbouring Haryana, Sirsa received a downpour of 49.5 mm, Panipat received 10.5 mm, Mewat 1 mm rain, Ambala 12.1 mm and Hisar received 14.6 mm.
Weather conditions over the Delhi-NCR region remained largely dry on Sunday, with only scattered light rainfall in select areas.
The Ridge recorded 5.7 mm of cumulative rainfall till 8.30 am, while Mayur Vihar and Pitampura reported 16 mm and 1.5 mm, respectively.
The local met station in Himachal Pradesh has issued yellow warnings of thunderstorms and lightning in isolated areas of the state on Sunday and Monday.
Naina Devi received 16.8 mm of rain, Dhaulakuan 16.5 mm, Nahan 13.1 mm, Rampur Bushahr 12 mm, Kufri 11.6 mm, Kothi 10.4 mm and Bharmour 10 mm while thunderstorms lashed Shimla, Jubbarhatti, Kangra, Kufri and Jot.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a fresh spell of rainfall and thunderstorms across Arunachal Pradesh beginning Monday and continuing through the week, with varying intensity across regions.
According to a bulletin issued by the meteorological centre here, Monday is expected to bring fairly widespread rain across the state, with districts such as East Siang, Lower Dibang Valley, Changlang, Lohit and Namsai likely to experience significant showers accompanied by thunderstorms at isolated locations.
A ‘watch’ advisory has been issued for parts of Tawang, East Kameng, Lower Subansiri, Kra Daadi, Kamle, Lower Siang, Lepa Rada and Papum Pare, where thunder accompanied by heavy rain is possible.
Light to moderate rain/thunderstorm with isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Jammu division, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, till Sunday and for the next four days in Uttarakhand, the IMD said in its bulletin.
