Monsoon mayhem: 7 die in Himachal, U'khand landslides; Amit Shah inspects flood-hit areas in Jammu

New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) Seven people died in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in landslides, while flood-hit Punjab received another spell of torrential rain on Monday, disrupting normal life and leading to the closure of all schools and colleges in the state.

In Jammu and Kashmir, amid heavy rainfall in Katra town, the pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine remained suspended for the seventh consecutive day since a landslide on a yatra route claimed 34 lives last Tuesday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Modi government is committed to ensuring the rehabilitation of those affected by recent floods in Jammu and Kashmir, as he undertook a whirlwind tour of a worst-hit area in Jammu. He was accompanied by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and senior J&K BJP leaders.

Chairing a high-level meeting at Raj Bhavan to review the latest situation after inspecting the affected areas, Shah appreciated the efforts of all the agencies and said the J&K government carried out the successful rescue operation very quickly.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday evening spoke to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, enquired about the flood situation and assured him of every support needed, soon after returning to Delhi from the SCO Summit in China.

"Immediately after landing in Delhi, Prime Minister Modi called Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to discuss the situation due to heavy rain and flooding in Punjab. He has assured him of all help and support to the state," an official said.

In Himachal Pradesh, five people, including a 35-year-old man and his daughter, were killed in the past 24 hours in separate incidents of landslides in the state.

Educational institutions will be closed in nine districts of Shimla, Kangra, Sirmaur, Una, Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Solan, and Lahaul and Spiti on Tuesday in view of warning of heavy rains.

Besides, such institutions in Banjar, Kullu and Manali sub-divisions of Kullu district will also remain shut on Tuesday, the officials said.

Six trains plying on the Shimla-Kalka track have been cancelled following landslips, and 793 roads, including five national highways, are closed in the state.

The local Met office issued a red alert, warning of extremely heavy rain in isolated areas in six districts till Tuesday.

A landslide overnight killed Virender Kumar and his 10-year-old daughter in the Dubloo area of Junga on the outskirts of Shimla town.

A 23-year-old woman died in another landslide in Badhal village of Jubbal in Shimla, officials said, adding an elderly woman was buried early Monday after her house in Chol village of Shimla's Kotkhai area collapsed on her.

Another house collapsed in the Chauras area of Sirmaur, killing a 37-year-old woman identified as Sheela Devi (37) along with eight cattle.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu informed the state assembly that with the recovery of four more bodies from Kugti between Hadsar and Manimahesh Lake, the number of devotees killed during the Manimahesh Yatra since its start on August 15 has risen to 16.

Out of 15,000 pilgrims stranded on the route, 10,000 have been safely evacuated, he added.

As torrential rains wreak havoc in the northern states, Jammu and Kashmir logged its sixth wettest August in 125 years, with a 73 per cent surplus rainfall recorded in the month, while Himachal Pradesh witnessed the highest rainfall for August in 76 years, according to weather experts.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) data showed Delhi received 399.8 mm of rainfall in August, the most for the month in 15 years.

Intermittent rains lashed the national capital through Monday, with the weather department warning of more moderate to heavy downpours in the coming days.

This alert comes even as Gurugram in NCR asked schools and offices to operate in online mode on Tuesday, citing the forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall.

In Uttarakhand, a landslide on the Kedarnath route early Monday killed two pilgrims and left six injured while heavy rain continued to lash various parts of the state, leading to temporary suspension of the Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib pilgrimages till September 5, officials said.

The landslide occurred at 7:34 am near Munkatiya between Sonprayag and Gaurikund on the Kedarnath route. Debris carrying rocks and boulders fell from the hillside and hit a moving vehicle, killing two passengers and leaving six others injured, Rudraprayag Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said.

Rains also lashed several parts of Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory Chandigarh on Monday, with Ludhiana logging the highest rainfall of 216.70 mm.

Several districts of Punjab are flooded due to incessant rains.

The Punjab government on Monday announced closure of all colleges, universities and polytechnic institutes till September 3 due to incessant rainfall.

According to officials, Punjab received 253.7 mm of rain in August, 74 per cent in excess of normal and the state's highest in 25 years.

Forced out of their homes due to flooding, many families in Punjab's Hoshiarpur have turned tractor-trolleys into makeshift shelters, lined up along the Sri Hargobindpur road as they face heavy rains and the threat of their homes being washed away.

The Army on Monday said more than 5,000 civilians were rescued so far and 21 tonnes of relief material was provided to the people in Jammu, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh affected by floods.

The Western Command of the Indian Army has been conducting extensive Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in the flood-affected states.

A total of 47 columns including army aviation and Indian Air Force helicopters were activated along with formation engineers, medical and communication resources to provide immediate relief, an officer said.

In Rajasthan, heavy rain pounded many parts of the state, leading to a flood-like situation in low-lying areas of Ajmer and disrupting normal life elsewhere.

The highest rainfall in the state, measuring 211 mm, was recorded in Chamoo area of Jodhpur in western Rajasthan.

In Ajmer, continuous overnight rainfall created a flood-like situation in the low-lying areas, submerging many streets and leaving residents trapped in their homes. PTI TEAM VN KVK KVK