Rain triggers landslides, flooding across 4 states

Heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods across four states on Thursday, throwing normal life out of gear and prompting authorities to deploy the army and disaster response personnel to rescue hundreds of stranded people as the toll in rain-related incidents mounted.  

The incessant rainfall also impacted the infrastructure in Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttarakhand, inundating houses, blocking key highways, damaging structures and leading to waterlogging on arterial roads, with the weather department warned of more downpour, people aware of the matter said.

Pune district, which received109mmof rainfall in 24 hours as compared to the average normal10.4mmfor this period, recorded at least four deaths after rains inundated residential colonies in low-lying areas and triggered landslides in the Western Ghats.

“As of now, four deaths have been reported, of which three were due to electrocution and one due to a landslide. In addition, three people are reported to be trapped in Lavasa city after a mudslide. Our teams are deployed there, and rescue operations are going on,’’ Pune district collector Suhas Diwse

Residents of the district said civic apathy made the situation worse and led to the inundation of their areas. “A bridge is being built in the area and debris are lying unattended. As a result, water changed its course and entered into our locality,” said Amit Deshmukh, a Pune resident.

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar took stock of the relief efforts in Pune and assured the people of assistance from the government.

“Keeping a tab on the heavy rainfall situation in and around Pune… Also instructed the officials to provide all assistance to the citizens. We are monitoring the entire situation and I would like to assure everyone that the state govt is working around the clock to provide help in all aspects,” Ajit Pawar said in a post on X.  He added that army teams have also been deployed alongside National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel to help in the rescue efforts.

“Additional Army columns have also been kept on standby, prepared to be deployed at short notice as the situation develops. Southern Command of the Indian Army is closely monitoring the situation in close coordination with the civil administration and other government agencies,” said the army in a statement.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde said that he has asked officials to stay on alert. “I also spoke with Army and Navy officials, and they have kept their units ready for any situation. We have prepared to airlift the people during the rescue operations. I have ordered the district administration in flood-affected areas to use funds from district planning and development funds,” he said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a ‘red alert’, – the most severe one— for the next 24 hours, leading to a closure of schools and colleges in Pune city on Friday.

The heavy rainfall also led to severe waterlogging in the Mumbai and also hit flight operations leading to cancellation and diversion of several flight, people aware of the matter said.

Raigad and Palghar districts of Maharashtra were also on an alert as several rivers, including Kundalika, flowed above the danger mark, disrupting communication network, officials said and added that one person also died in Alibag city.

Over the years, the monsoon season has been marked by wide disparities in terms of geographic spread, the number of days over which it was spread, and the intensity of rainy days. Last year, for instance, June rains were 9% below average because of the delay in the arrival of rains, but July rains rebounded to 13% above average. August was the driest on record with a 36% deficit, but again in September, rainfall revived and the country received 13% more rainfall than the normal, IMD said last October after the season culminated.  Consistent and moderate amounts of rain – as opposed to heavy or very heavy rainfall days – is crucial for a country where nearly half of the farmland lacks irrigation.

Rains continued to wreak havoc in Gujarat, leading to three more deaths, taking the toll in rain-related incidents in 24 hours to 11.  The incessant rainfall has led to waterlogging, flooding, and infrastructure damage across multiple districts in the state.

“Necessary instructions were given to evacuate people from the low-lying areas of the affected districts to safe places. The system is working with a ‘Zero Casualty’ approach in this heavy rain situation. Teams of NDRF and SDRF have also joined the local system in relief and rescue operations. Where the power supply has been affected, repair work has been undertaken on war footing to restore the situation,” state chief minister Bhupendra Patel posted on X.

Nearly 3,000 people living in low-lying areas in and around Vadodara  were shifted to safer places after the Vishwamitri river crossed the danger mark on Thursday morning, officials said.

“Vishwamitri is flowing at 29 feet, nearly 4 feet above the danger mark… As a precautionary measure, we have alerted people living near the river bank and shifted nearly 3,000 persons to safer places,” Vadodara municipal commissioner Dilip Rana said.

The hills also reeled under rain fury as the downpour damaged houses and led to closure of key roads.

In Himachal Pradesh, a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst at midnight swept away three houses and triggered landslides in Manali district, leading to the closure of a part of the crucial National Highway-3, which connects the state with Leh, officials said. 

The subdivisional magistrate (SDM) of Manali, Raman Sharma, said the Beas Kund power house was also damaged in the flashflood. “Three houses have been washed away while one is endangered,” he said. No casualties were reported in the incident 

At the state’s Palchan village, people abandoned their houses in the middle of the night as rain poured.  “We woke up to a thundering sound in the middle of the night and there was panic all around as people abandoned their houses and headed to safer places,” said Risha Devi, a block development committee member at Palchan.

Heavy rains continued to lashed various parts of Uttarakhand on Thursday, resulting in the closure of 142 roads, officials said.  “A 20-metre stretch of road on Malari-Joshimath Highway was swept away leading to blocking the traffic early morning on Thursday and the BRO teams were deployed to the spot to reopen the road using heavy machines,” NK Joshi, district disaster management officer for Chamoli district said.