Monsoon covers entire country; heavy rains batter Uttarakhand, HP

Hindustan Times

15 hours ago

A cloudburst in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district early Sunday killed two construction workers and left seven others missing, as the monsoon covered the entire country nearly a week ahead of schedule, triggering landslides and flash floods across northern and eastern India. NDRF personnel during a rescue operation for missing persons who were feared swept away in the recent cloudburst-triggered flash floods at Sainj valley, in Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh on Sunday. (PTI)
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), this is the earliest the southwest monsoon has covered the entire country since 2020. The seasonal rains reached Delhi on June 29 — two days later than usual — but advanced quickly across Rajasthan, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.
The IMD has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall on June 30 across several Uttarakhand districts, including Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Haridwar and Nainital. In response, authorities have temporarily halted the Char Dham Yatra for the safety of pilgrims. A red alert and orange alert has also been sounded in several districts of Himachal Pradesh.
Officials said a landslide, triggered by the cloudburst, swept away the temporary shelters of 29 workers building a hotel along the Yamunotri National Highway. About 10 metres of the highway was also washed away. Twenty workers were rescued, while nine were reported missing.
By Sunday morning, the bodies of two missing workers — believed to be of Nepalese origin — were recovered from the Yamuna riverbanks, 18km downstream from the site. Search and rescue operations, involving NDRF, SDRF, and police personnel, are ongoing.
'The highway remains blocked due to debris. Pilgrims returning from Yamunotri have been asked to stay at safe locations,' said Uttarkashi district magistrate Prashant Arya.
Rain havoc in Himachal
In neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, where monsoon arrived on June 20, rain-related incidents have claimed 20 lives so far. 'Three fatalities due to rain-related incidents were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll since the onset of monsoon in the state to 20. One person each drowned in Una and Bilaspur districts, while another died after falling from height in Shimla district, according to the state emergency operation centre (SEOC).
In its revised warning issued on Sunday evening, the Met office said: 'heavy to very heavy rains are likely to occur at a few places in the districts of Kangra, Mandi, Solan and Sirmaur, isolated places in Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Shimla districts and heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Kullu and Chamba districts till Monday evening'.
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed deputy commissioners of Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur and Solan districts to order a closure of schools on June 30.
Landslides block Shimla-Kalka rail line
Landslides disrupted services on the UNESCO heritage Shimla-Kalka rail line after debris and trees fell on the tracks in Solan.
All five spillway gates of the Pandoh Dam were opened Sunday, increasing water levels in the Beas river. Authorities have warned residents to avoid riverbanks.
The IMD also issued a red alert for parts of Jharkhand until July 1. In East Singhbhum district, 162 students were rescued from a flooded private residential school in Kowali after heavy rains submerged the premises. The students had spent the night on the rooftop before being rescued by police and fire teams early Sunday.
Connectivity restored in Northeast
In the Northeast, rail connectivity to Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, and southern Assam was partially restored six days after it was disrupted by landslides in the Lumding-Badarpur hill section. Limited train operations have resumed, and full restoration is expected by Monday.
Vital for agriculture
The monsoon is critical for India's agriculture sector, which supports over 42% of the population and contributes more than 18% to the national GDP. It also replenishes water reservoirs vital for drinking water and electricity generation.