Several of the southern and western states of India, including Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra, raised nationwide concern over the past month as mayhem was all that prevailed in the wake of floods that caused massive loss of life and property.?
Most of the northern India had been battling a hostile summer and every spell of rain was welcomed by the locals as a sigh of relief.?
But as fate would have it, rains hammered the northern India persistently over the past week and now danger alarm has been sounded in several regions. In Himachal Pradesh, which is fast emerging as one of the worst-hit states, at least 24 people have lost their lives while several landslides have blocked highways and roads. These not only have left the tourists stranded but is also a cause for delay in rescue and relief operations.?
A flood alert has also been issued in parts of Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called an emergency meeting of concerned officials to assess the preparations. The Delhi government has also issued orders for the evacuation of people from low-lying areas and civil defence volunteers have been deployed for rescue operations.
Whereas in Punjab, the land of five rivers, at least 250 villages in eight districts - Ropar, Nawanshahr, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Tarn Taran, Moga and Ferozepur - have been put on high alert. At the same time overflowing dams and rivers have caused flooding in several regions. Further, as per latest official details, at least 209 villages have been evacuated in Punjab as a precautionary measure.?
At the same time, flash floods in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district struck several villages. Several dozen houses were swept away by the flooding waters in no time. What is worse a cloudburst in Mori block killed 17 people while two locals were airlifted to the Doon hospital in the state capital.?
In Kerala and Karnataka alone, at least 121 and 76 people have lost their lives respectively while several are still missing. It is also being pointed out that although flood is an almost annual occurrence in India, it is much wider and impactful in its scale this year.?
The authorities have swung into action and have maintained that all necessary preventive measures are being taken. The best thing to do is to remain calm, follow the government advisories and help each other in whatever way we can.?