NEW DELHI – Heavy monsoon rains have caused havoc across northern India, with at least 14 people killed and road infrastructure damaged in various states since Saturday.
Delhi recorded 153 mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period until 8.30 am on Sunday, the highest in a day in July in 40 years, according to local media reports.
Delhi state officials had their weekly Sunday off cancelled and were told to inspect waterlogging in the city as many areas were flooded.
Traffic was thrown out of gear in the Indian capital region, including central Delhi where key government buildings and offices are located.
In Gurugram, on the outskirts of New Delhi, the local administration advised companies to let people work from home on Monday and asked people not to venture out unless necessary.
In Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana, there were reports of highways being damaged, river waters rising and landslides.
Three people were killed and another three went missing after a car carrying 11 passengers fell into the Ganga river in Uttarakhand’s Tehri Garhwal district.
A house collapse killed three members of a family in Himachal, while many shops and a bank ATM were washed away in the swollen Beas river.
Two soldiers were killed in flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, and landslides and road closures were reported in different places of the region.
In Punjab, a part of fencing along the India-Pakistan border in the Ferozepur district was damaged due to heavy rains, the Tribune newspaper reported on its website.
Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded 322 mm of rain since Saturday, breaching an all-time record for a 24-hour period.
Inter-state travel has also been affected in northern India due to the monsoon fury. – Bernama
