Heavy to very heavy rain lash parts of India; doctor killed in Uttarakhand

Relentless monsoon showers battered several parts of India on Saturday, leaving a trail of landslides, road blockages and disruptions, with the Himalayan states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh among the worst affected. Heavy downpours triggered cascading landslides, washed away stretches of roads and forced authorities to launch rescue operations in vulnerable regions.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported very heavy rainfall over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Meghalaya, while heavy showers lashed West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

In Uttarakhand, the rain unleashed widespread disruption, blocking around 120 roads, including three national highways. Nearly 100 pilgrims stranded along the Yamunotri National Highway were escorted to safety after a crucial stretch of the route remained cut off for two days following a massive landslide.

According to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), a huge mound of debris buried the highway at Syanachatti in Uttarkashi district on Thursday after continuous rainfall triggered a landslide that swept away nearly 100 metres of the road. Rescue teams secured ropes along an alternate route and carefully helped the stranded pilgrims cross the dangerous stretch one by one.

Repair work on the highway is underway, but persistent rainfall and fresh showers of rocks and debris from the surrounding hills have slowed restoration efforts, officials said.

The rain-related devastation also claimed a life in Chamoli district, where Dr Naveen Dimri, 45, died while inspecting repair work at a health centre damaged by landslides and flash floods on 28 June. Dr Dimri, a resident of Devaldhar village in Gopeshwar, was serving as the in-charge of the Narayanbagad Primary Health Centre when the accident occurred on the facility premises.

Neighbouring Himachal Pradesh also witnessed the wrath of the monsoon, with landslides reported in Shimla, a Bailey bridge collapsing in Sangla and floodwaters inundating a single-storey house in Kinnaur district.

In Kinnaur, the swollen Lippa stream overflowed after intense rainfall, submerging a house near the Lippa bus stand and raising concerns among nearby residents. The IMD issued a yellow alert for isolated moderate to heavy rainfall in Shimla, Kullu, Chamba, Bilaspur and Sirmaur districts.

In the national capital, Delhi experienced a slight rise in minimum temperatures amid forecasts of light rain. Safdarjung, the city's representative weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 26.6 degrees Celsius, slightly below normal. The IMD has not issued any weather alerts for Delhi in the coming days.

Uttar Pradesh saw a mixed monsoon pattern, with most districts receiving normal rainfall. While 10 districts recorded excess rainfall, 21 districts remained without rain so far this season. The IMD has forecast rain and thunderstorms at several places, with isolated heavy rainfall likely over eastern Uttar Pradesh.

In Rajasthan, scattered showers and gusty winds brought temporary relief in some areas. Rajgarh/Sadulpur in Churu district recorded the state's highest rainfall at 55 mm over 24 hours. Sri Ganganagar recorded the highest temperature at 42 degrees Celsius, while Sirohi remained the coolest at 21 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, rescue teams in landslide-hit Kerala continued their search for the fifth consecutive day at the Kalladi tunnel project site, where one person from Himachal Pradesh remains missing. The landslide, which struck the Anakkampoyil-Meppadi tunnel project site on 7 July, claimed seven lives, with search operations continuing for the last missing worker.

As the monsoon continues its march across the country, authorities remain on alert, closely monitoring vulnerable regions where heavy rains have transformed mountain slopes and swollen rivers into sources of fresh challenges.

With PTI inputs