Sunken cars in a flooded resort in Uttarakhand on Tuesday | PTI
Torrential rains continued to rock Uttarakhand, with the state reporting at least 42 rain-related deaths on Tuesday. Parts of the state, including Nainital, were cut off from the rest of Uttarakhand when heavy rain, reportedly caused by a downpour, caused a series of landslides.
Of the 42 victims reported on Tuesday, Nainital alone accounted for 28 deaths, followed by Almora and Champawat with six and one each in Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar districts.
The state government has announced this Rs 4 lakh as compensation for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the rain.
READ: Uttarakhand: 25-30 trekkers rescued from the Gangotri Trek by SDRF
The Indian Army, together with the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), was pushed into action to carry out relief and rescue operations in the affected areas.
The NDRF has deployed a total of 15 teams across the state and managed to rescue over 300 people from the flood-affected areas. Three IAF helicopters arrived in the state to assist with rescue operations, two of which were deployed in Nainital.
NDRF employees rescue stranded people in Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand on Tuesday | PTI
Nainital cut off from the rest of Uttarakhand
One of the most popular travel destinations in the country, Nainital, was cut off from the rest of Uttarakhand after landslides blocked three streets that led to the mountain station. Brief interruptions to electricity and internet connections were also reported on Tuesday.
Videos and pictures posted on social media show the iconic Mall Road and Boat House Club, partially underwater.
Road to the Boat House Club in Nainital on Tuesday | India today
One such video shows tourists stranded at a resort in Ramgarh in Nainital, rescued and taken to higher areas in tractors.
Roads, bridges and even railroad tracks were damaged in Kathgodam and Lalkuan in Nainital and Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar on Tuesday. The repair of the tracks could take at least four to five days, said an official from the PTI news agency.
Landslide blocks the Askote-Jauljibi road in Pithoragarh on Tuesday | PTI
In a address to the media, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami appealed to the pilgrims practicing Chardham Yatra to stay where they are until the situation improves. Around 100 Gujarat pilgrims have been stranded in Uttarakhand, Gujarat Finance Minister Rajendra Trivedi said.
The Prime Minister of Uttarakhand, Dhami, accompanied by the Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar also carried out an aerial photo of the areas affected by the flood on Tuesday.
Kerala: Four dams open, IMD issues Orange Alert for 11 districts
When torrential rains wreaked havoc in parts of Kerala, a panel of experts decided open four great dams – Idukki, Idamalayar, Pamba and Kakki – in the state of releasing the excess water. Kerala has a total of 78 dams.
District governments across the state have been asked to alert the people who live downstream and move them to relief camps. CM Pinarayi Vijayan has instructed the authorities to ensure that the evacuees are adequately supplied with food.
Crane clears up rubbish that accumulated in Thotapally overflow in Alappuzha, Kerala on Tuesday | PTI
The IMD issued an Orange Alert on Tuesday in 11 districts of Kerala on Wednesday, warning of heavy rains. These include Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, and Kannur.
2 die in rain-related incidents in UP; Rainfalls in West Bengal, Odisha
In addition to Uttarakhand, heavy rain also devastated parts of Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast an intense rainy season over the eastern and northeastern states through Wednesday. Heavy rainfall is also expected in the southern peninsula region over the next four to five days.
Vehicles wade through a wet street after rain in Chandmari in Assam’s Guwahati on Tuesday | PTI
In Uttar Pradesh, authorities reported two rain-related deaths in Fatehpur and two more in Bareilly.
Meanwhile, heavy rain is expected in West Bengal until Thursday morning. The IMD warned of extremely heavy rains over Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Alipurduar until Wednesday morning.
The weather department has also forecast a persistent downpour in Odisha for Wednesday. To this end, warnings were issued urging fishermen not to venture into the Bay of Bengal for the next 48 hours.
(with entries from PTI)
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