NEW DELHI: Parts of Delhi and Indian Kashmir experienced severe flooding on Thursday after two major rivers breached their danger marks following intense monsoon rains across northern regions.
Weather officials have forecast some respite from the downpours after a fierce monsoon season caused immense destruction throughout the region this year.
Torrential rainfall in the hilly areas of Jammu and Kashmir, the Himalayan enclave of Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh has swollen numerous rivers beyond their danger levels.
Residential areas in the key city of Srinagar flooded after a breach of the Jhelum river embankment, prompting authorities to urge residents to evacuate their homes.
“The Jhelum is climbing, but at a much slower rate than was feared,“ Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said in a post on X.
Rescuers searched for people trapped under debris after rainfall triggered a landslide at the Ratle hydroelectric power project on the Chenab river in Drabshalla.
Indian weather officials have forecast showers to ease off on Thursday, with moderate rain expected in Jammu and Kashmir and the state of Uttarkhand.
In Delhi, the Yamuna river passed the danger mark on Tuesday in what the Central Water Commission described as a ‘severe’ situation.
Muddy water poured into many homes in low-lying areas, from which thousands had already been evacuated to safer places as a precaution.
Authorities shut the historic Loha Pul, or Iron Bridge, spanning the Yamuna in the older part of the city.
People waded through floodwaters in areas surrounding the historic Red Fort, many carrying idols of Lord Ganesha for immersion in the river waters as part of an annual ritual.
Crops across tens of thousands of hectares have been destroyed by the rains in the breadbasket state of Punjab, where 37 people have died since August began.
The deluge spurred authorities to release water pent up in dams, further flooding areas in both India and neighbouring Pakistan. – Reuters