India’s landscape transformed into a scene reminiscent of Venice on Thursday, as torrential rainfall and cloudbursts battered various parts of the country. The two-day deluge left a trail of destruction, with harrowing visuals circulating on social media showing water cascading into Delhi’s new Parliament building, overflowing rivers in Himachal Pradesh, Assam, and Karnataka, and severely waterlogged streets in Delhi and Gurgaon.
Himachal Pradesh Suffers Cloudbursts
Himachal Pradesh bore the brunt of the heavy rainfall, with devastating cloudbursts claiming at least four lives and leaving an estimated 50 people missing in Mandi, Shimla, and Kullu districts. Homes, bridges, and roads were washed away, prompting authorities to shut down all educational institutions in the Kullu district for two days. A video shared by PTI depicted the collapse and subsequent sweeping away of a building by the raging Parvati River in Kullu. Simultaneously, the Beas River saw its water level rise alarmingly due to incessant rainfall, and a breach was reported in the Malana Dam, although the situation is currently under control. A cloudburst in the Shimla district’s Rampur subdivision left two dead and approximately 30 missing, while another cloudburst near Terang in Mandi district resulted in two fatalities and eight missing, with two houses swept away and another damaged. The Shimla-Junga road was closed due to a landslide caused by the heavy rainfall. Reports of vehicles being buried under debris in Rajnagar, Chamba, and roadblocks in Hamirpur district also emerged. Landslides caused damage to the Manali-Chandigarh National Highway at multiple locations.
Uttarakhand Faced Stranded Pilgrims
In Uttarakhand, at least 10 lives were lost, and two bridges were washed away along the Kedarnath route due to the heavy rain. Although all Chardham routes remain open, the Kedarnath footpath has been obstructed, and 100 other routes remain blocked. Rescue efforts are underway to clear the blocked routes. Over 450 pilgrims destined for Kedarnath were stranded beyond Bhimbali on the Gaurikund-Kedarnath trek route after a 20-25 meter stretch was washed away by heavy rainfall on Wednesday night.
Delhi-NCR Battles Waterlogging
Delhi-NCR experienced persistent light to moderate rainfall on Thursday, following heavy downpours that led to waterlogging in key areas on Wednesday. A wall of a private school in Daryaganj collapsed due to heavy rainfall, causing damage to nearby parked vehicles. A water leak was reported in the new Parliament building, attributed to displaced adhesive material used for fixing glass domes over the lobby, which was swiftly addressed. The waterlogging situation in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar, where three UPSC aspirants tragically died in a water-filled basement at a coaching center last week, became a focal point.
Social media users shared images of waterlogged streets in Gurugram, drawing comparisons to Venice and even claiming that Gurugram was competing with Kerala’s backwaters. Delhi received intense rainfall late Wednesday, registering 147 mm (5.8 inches) in eastern parts of the city and its suburbs, according to the India Meteorological Department. Seven deaths were reported in the capital.
Karnataka Issues Flood Warning
Karnataka experienced heavy rainfall in the Cauvery catchment area, leading to an increase in outflow from the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini dams. A flood warning was issued for people living downstream of the two dams, particularly in Mandya, Mysuru, and Chamarajanagar districts. Residents near the riverbanks were advised to relocate to safer areas. In Belagavi district, 55 villages faced partial inundation, resulting in the displacement of approximately 7,000 people to relief camps.
