15 Die As Heavy Rains Lash Indian States

At least 15 people have died in three days in north India as heavy rains caused widespread flooding.

In the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, landslides and flash floods have damaged houses and paralysed life.

A similar situation prevailed in the neighbouring Uttarakhand, where water levels of several rivers have crossed the danger mark.

In Delhi, schools have been shut as the entire city was flooded over the weekend.

The situation was particularly alarming in some pockets of the city where residents were left stranded as water overflowed from clogged drains and submerged roads.

Many had to plough on through the flood waters or spend many hours in traffic jams. A woman was crushed to death on Saturday evening after the ceiling of her house collapsed on her.

Several residents took to social media to express their frustration that the country’s capital failed to withstand three days of rains.

A local resident, Sarita Gupta, said: “I don’t know what the government is doing about this. It’s not just one year, it happens every year.”

Several states in India’s northeast region, including Assam and Nagaland, have also witnessed heavy rainfall in recent days. In Assam, thousands of people have been displaced due to floods.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that more heavy rains are expected in the northern regions of the country.

India regularly witnesses severe floods during the monsoon season, which runs between June and September.

But experts say the intensity of the rains has increased in recent times.

Many factors contribute to flooding, but experts say climate change caused by global warming makes extreme rainfall more likely.

In Uttarakhand, a tourist state nestled in the Himalayas, a key highway had to be closed after landslides disrupted movement along the route.

The state has received incessant rainfall over the last 48 hours and is expected to receive more in the next few days.

Meanwhile in the neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, terrifying visuals of cars getting swept away by water emerged on Sunday.

The state reported at least 14 landslides and 13 instances of flash floods over the weekend.

At least five people, including three members of a family, have died and more than 700 damaged roads have been shut for repairs since Saturday.

Authorities have closed all schools and colleges for the next two days.

Source: BBC