Weather Updates: 19 dead as heavy rains lash north India, rivers in spate

In view of the heavy rains, schools across Faridabad will remain shut on Monday. 

The Pragati Maidan tunnel was closed on Sunday for traffic due to waterlogging while the Minto Road bridge was shut for nearly two hours due to the incessant rain pounding the national capital, said a government official. The Public Works Department (PWD) received 100 calls reporting waterlogging from several areas throughout the day, the official said. PWD minister Atishi's official residence in the posh Mathura Road area too was submerged with water. The heavy rain brought at least two Delhi ministers out on the streets to check on waterlogged roads. "The Pragati Maidan tunnel connecting Ring Road and India Gate was shut for traffic movement throughout the day following incessant rains on Saturday. The construction waste from Pragati Maidan is released towards the tunnel which led to waterlogging.

With the heavy rain bringing the city to its knees on a second consecutive day, Delhi Cabinet ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj visited waterlogged areas in the national capital to take stock of the situation, promising to make full measures to pump the water out. The national capital recorded 153 mm of rainfall on Saturday and 105.8 mm of precipitation on Sunday. PWD Minister Atishi on Sunday visited Tilak Bridge Underpass and Zakhira Underpass, both submerged, along with officials from her department. During her visit, the minister inspected the pumping stations located at Tilak Bridge and Zakhira Underpass and also went to the Monsoon Control Room at the PWD headquarters to assess the waterlogging situation in the city.

Torrential rains pounded several parts of north India on Sunday with 19 people killed in landslides and other rain-related incidents, while most rivers, including the Yamuna in Delhi, were in spate. In cities and towns across the region, many roads and residential areas were submerged in knee-deep water with the civic system unable to hold on in the face of record rains. Frightening images of the chaos unleashed by the rains -- vehicles floating like paper boats on inundated roads, muddy waters gushing into residential areas, temples and other structures submerged on the banks by the swollen rivers and land cave-ins -- were shared online by people from Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi, among other places.

A wall of a Delhi government school in Srinivaspuri collapsed during heavy rains, triggering a political slugfest on Sunday with the BJP alleging corruption in the building construction. "A wall of a school built four months before has collapsed due to rains. This has exposed the much-touted world-class education model of the Delhi Government. Had it not been a holiday, you could imagine the risk it could have posed to children" BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said.

A 30-year-old woman died in north Delhi's Subzi Mandi and 5 others were injured in separate incidents following heavy rains in the national capital on Sunday, police said.Priti (30) was killed and a minor girl was injured after a dilapidated portion of a wall of a 
 veterinary hospital collapsed on them in Subzi Mandi, they said. The accident took place around 5 pm when Priti, a resident of Sonepat’s Gannaur, and the minor were going to attend a nature call, they said. A portion of the backside wall of the hospital collapsed on the two victims towards a vacant plot adjacent to the railway line, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said.

In 36 hours starting 8.30 am on Saturday, Delhi recorded an unprecedented 260 mm of rainfall -- over 30 per cent more than July's quota of 195.8 mm -- prompting the government to issue a flood warning and shut schools for a day. The Safdarjung Observatory, the main weather station in Delhi, recorded 153 mm of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Sunday. This is the highest rainfall for a single day since July 25, 1982, when 169.9 mm of rain was recorded. It is also the third-highest single-day rainfall for July since 1958, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Delhi BJP leaders on Sunday slammed the Kejriwal government over waterlogging in the city for the second consecutive day after heavy rains and demanded resignation of PWD minister Atishi. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said it is "shameful" that even as entire Delhi is flooded and people are experiencing hardships, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal chose to go to Haryana for "political campaigning". Sachdeva was referring to Kejriwal's visit to Haryana's Panchkula where he launched the AAP's "Bijli Andolan" in the state.

'Heavy to extremely heavy' rains battered Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, triggering landslides and flash floods, inundating many areas, washing away roads, vehicles and houses and killing six persons. State authorities have ordered the closure of schools and colleges for two days. As many as 765 roads including Chandigar- Manali National Highway were closed following the torrential rains. Hundreds of people were stranded in different parts of the state, including in Chandratal in Lahaul and Spiti and near Sadhupul in Solan district.

More than 3,400 police personnel were deployed on Sunday at 50 locations in the city to manage traffic in view of waterlogging on several road stretches due to heavy rains for the second consecutive day. There was waterlogging since the morning hours, which resulted in traffic snarls across the city, and the Traffic Control room received complaints regarding congestion, uprooting of trees, potholes and signals not working, according to officials.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and took updates about losses due to heavy rainfall. He has also assured all possible help to both states.

Torrential rains pounded several parts of north India on Sunday with 15 people killed in landslides and other rain-related incidents, while most rivers, including the Yamuna in Delhi, were in spate. In cities and towns across the region, many roads and residential areas were submerged in knee-deep water with the civic system unable to hold on in the face of record rains. Flash floods washed away roads in hilly areas, leaving people marooned, while authorities asked tourists to plan their visit after the weather improves.

In view of the heavy rains, schools in Noida will remain closed: Rakesh Chauhan, District Information Officer, Gautam Buddha Nagar.

"In the last 24 hours, there was a rainfall of more than 150 mm. 40 years record has been broken...now we're doing all the necessary arrangements for 150 mm rainfall...all the ministers are on field since morning...": PWD Minister Atishi.

After a boundary wall of a government school collapsed here following heavy rains, Delhi minister Atishi directed senior officials of the education department, principals and vice-principals to conduct a physical inspection of all government schools on Sunday. In case of any deficiencies or serious problem is found, the school should be cordoned off to avoid any mishap, according to a statement from the education minister's office.

Uttar Pradesh recorded widespread excess rainfall on Sunday, causing a rise in river water levels, hitting traffic movement in cities, and inundating farms in rural pockets. Of the 75 districts in the state, rainfall was witnessed in around 68 districts, according to Indian Metrological Department (IMD) data.

Heavy monsoon rains in several parts of Punjab and Haryana on Sunday led to massive waterlogging in low-lying areas, prompting authorities to swing into action in the worst-hit places. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directed cabinet ministers, Deputy Commissioners, Senior Superintendents of Police and other officials concerned to visit the affected areas and provide the required assistance to people. "It has been raining heavily in Punjab for the last 2 days, due to which people are facing difficulties in the low-lying areas and especially in the areas along the rivers...," Mann tweeted in Punjabi.

Widespread rainfall continued to lash parts of Rajasthan as Udaipurwati in Jhunjhunu recorded a maximum of 12 cm of rains till Sunday morning, the MeT department. According to the department, Malsisar (Jhunjhunu), Jhunjhunu, Mangaliyawas (Ajmer) and Sikar recorded 11, 9, 8 and 7 cm rains respectively. A few areas received heavy to very heavy rains while moderate to heavy rainfall occurred in many areas from Saturday till this morning.

The bountiful rains in many parts of India in the first eight days of July have bridged the rainfall deficit for the entire country, according to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) data. The cumulative rainfall in the monsoon season has reached 243.2 mm, which is 2 per cent above the normal of 239.1 mm. However, there are large-scale regional variations in rainfall. While the eastern and northeastern region has recorded a deficiency of 17 per cent (375.3 mm against a normal of 454 mm), north India has witnessed 59 per cent excess rainfall (199.7 mm against a normal of 125.5 per cent), the latest IMD data showed.

Boundary wall of a Delhi Government School in eastern Kailash area collapse due to heavy rain. 

A bus was hit by a mus slide in Jammu and Kashmir

Flood-like situation in a private housing colony located in Punjab's Dera Bassi after continuous  rainfall in the area

Two people were rescued after a tin shed collapsed in Zakhira here on Sunday morning, a day after the city was lashed by heavy rains, officials said.

Heavy rains pounded Himachal Pradesh, triggering landslides, damaging houses and leaving five people dead, officials said on Sunday.

Two persons were killed after a landslide hit a passenger bus in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, a senior police officer said.

A woman and her six-year-old daughter were killed here on Sunday after the roof of their house collapsed due to heavy rain, an official said.

Chandigarh is to witness a generally cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers today, says IMD.

Portion of National Highway washed away by overflowing Beas river in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh.

Severe waterlogging in parts of Zirakpur due to heavy rainfall.

Losar village in Lahaul-Spiti district receives unexpected sudden snowfall as various parts of north India are affected due to heavy rainfall

Himachal Pradesh: Heavy rainfall in Kullu cause landslides, vehicular movement stopped in various parts.

Rainwater enters a few houses located in the area around the Housing Board colony in Ambala Cantt, Haryana

Swollen water canal near Kullu bus stand following heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh.

Railway track closed between Koti and Sanwara railway stations at Tunnel No. 10 due to heavy rainfall on the Kalka-Shimla railway route in Himachal Pradesh