New Delhi: Nature’s fury has been witnessed in many states of the country over the past few days. Due to heavy rain in several states, floods have occurred and people’s homes have been destroyed in moments.
More than 334 people have lost their lives in the landslide incident after heavy rain in Wayanad, Kerala, while dozens of people are still missing. Rescue operations continued for the third day to evacuate more than 10,000 people stranded on the way to Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand.
The rescue operation in two states was not even over when Jharkhand witnessed the fury of nature. Flood-like conditions have arisen in many parts of the state due to the torrential rains since yesterday. The roads have been submerged, and many houses have collapsed due to waterlogging. People have been shifted to safer places. Rivers and streams are all in spate.
Schools were also closed in the state on Saturday. Nearly 114 roads have been closed in Himachal Pradesh due to sudden floods and landslides caused by cloudbursts and heavy rains.
Rescue operation continued for third day in Kedarnath
Rescue operations continued for the third day on Saturday to evacuate pilgrims stranded on foot after heavy rains in the Kedarnath Dham area. More than 10,000 people were evacuated to a safe place on Saturday. In view of the danger, the help of Air Force helicopters is also being taken. According to officials, about 1,300 pilgrims are still stranded in Kedarnath, Bhimbali, and Gaurikund but are safe.
Indian Air Force’s Chinook and MI 17 helicopters evacuated some pilgrims from the area on Friday. Apart from this, SDRF and NDRF teams are also engaged in relief and rescue work. On Friday, a pilgrim lost his life in a landslide near Tharu camp in Lincholi. The footpath leading to Kedarnath was severely damaged due to a cloudburst in Junglechatti near Lincholi on Wednesday night. Due to rain, roads were also washed away at some places, causing pilgrims to get stranded.
Rescue operation in Kerala’s Wayanad in its final stages
More than 334 people have lost their lives in the landslide incident after heavy rains in Wayanad, Kerala. State CM Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday that the search and rescue operation is in its final stage, but 206 people are still missing. The CM said there is a problem in identifying the bodies and human organs recovered from the Chaliyar river.
The Chief Minister said that 67 bodies have not been identified yet. He has instructed to keep the DNA of those who could not be identified among the dead in the incident.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, thanked the Army, NDRF, and many other government agencies for the rescue operation. He said that the compassion and solidarity of the people of India are the strength that Wayanad needs right now. The Congress leader expressed gratitude to the people and government of Karnataka during these difficult times, noting their commitment to building 100 houses for the victims of the tragic landslide as an important step towards rehabilitation efforts.
Many houses washed away in Jharkhand
In Jharkhand, due to continuous rain for the last two days, many roads have been washed away. Trees have been uprooted, and many houses have been damaged. A bridge has also collapsed. It is a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life in any part so far. After heavy rains in Ranchi, the help of NDRF is being taken to evacuate people from low-lying areas. Rain was also seen in many areas on Saturday.
A part of a bridge collapsed due to heavy rains in Bokaro district. This bridge was about 300 meters long. Traffic was disrupted after a part of the bridge collapsed. This bridge connects Lalpania of Bokaro and Dumri of Giridih district. Meanwhile, at least three roads were washed away due to heavy rains in Gumla. In Dhanbad, many areas like Grewal Colony near Bekarbandh, Nawadih Nandan Residency in Bhuli, Mangal Vihar Colony in Dhaiya, and Shivliwari Colony in Maithan are submerged due to heavy rains.
Cloud burst in Himachal, alert till August 7
In the hill state of Himachal Pradesh, 114 roads were closed due to flash floods and landslides following a cloudburst and heavy rains. The Meteorological Department on Saturday warned that heavy rains will continue in the state till August 7. Of the roads closed for traffic, 36 are in Mandi, 34 in Kullu, 27 in Shimla, eight in Lahaul and Spiti, seven in Kangra, and two in Kinnaur district.
The rescue operation to locate about 45 people missing after the cloudburst continued on Saturday, but no success was achieved. A total of 410 rescue workers from NDRF, SDRF, CISF, and police and home guard teams are involved in the search operation with the help of drones.
