Uttarakhand rains: 34 people killed across state, 200 rescued from resort
Nanital was cut off from rest of the state as the three roads leading to the city were blocked by landslides.
Thirty-four people have died after heavy rain in Uttarakhand, while five are missing, ANI reported on Tuesday, citing Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
About 200 people stranded in a resort situated on the Ramnagar-Ranikhet route were evacuated, ANI reported.
Nanital was cut off from rest of the state as the three roads leading to the city were blocked by landslides. The town’s Mall Road and Naina Devi temple on the banks of Naini lake are flooded due to incessant rain.
The National Disaster Response Force has deployed 15 teams in the state for relief and rescue operations, PTI reported.
The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the families of the deceased. Those who lost their homes in the flood will be given Rs 1.09 lakh. The chief minister said the government would also extend help to those who have lost their livestock.
Dhami visited places affected by the flood. He also briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah about the situation in the state.
In a tweet, Modi said he was anguished by the deaths. “May the injured recover soon,” he added. “Rescue operations are underway to help those affected. I pray for everyone’s safety and well-being.”
Visuals also showed alarming rise in water levels rivers in Haldwani, Chamoli and Champawat districts causing damage to bridges.
The India Meteorological Department said that rainfall in Uttarakhand is expected to reduce significantly from Tuesday, ANI reported.
Multiple dams opened in Kerala, toll rises to 35
Battered by heavy torrential rains over the last few days, the Kerala government has decided to open the gates of several dams across the state to keep the water level in them below the danger level.
The state government has also constituted an expert committee to regulate the release of water from 81 dams across the state, The Hindu reported on Tuesday.
Two gates of the Idamalayar Dam in Ernakulam district were opened by 50 centimetres each on Tuesday early morning.
Two gates of the Cheruthoni Dam in the Idukki district were opened around 11 am, the Kerala State Electricity Board said. Three shutters of the dam will remain open by 35 centimetres each throughout Tuesday.
The authorities also opened the shutter of the Idukki dam after heavy rain.
At least 35 people have died due to landslides and other rain-related incidents in Kerala since the heavy showers started on Saturday, the Hindustan Times reported.
The inclement weather is likely to continue as the weather department has issued a yellow warning, indicating severely bad weather, in 11 out of 14 districts of the state, till Wednesday.