New Delhi [India], September 5 : President Droupadi Murmu on Friday expressed deep anguish over the devastation caused by heavy rains, cloudbursts and floods across north India, saying the monsoon fury has left behind a trail of "death and destruction" in several states.
"I have been deeply anguished every time I have come to know about natural calamities during the monsoon this year. Cloudbursts in the hills and floods in the plains have taken a heavy toll, leaving death and destruction in their wake in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Assam and many other parts of the country," President Murmu said in a post on X.
She extended solidarity with those affected and praised officials engaged in rescue and relief efforts. "The nation shares the sorrow of the people affected by calamities and is with them in this crisis. I commend the spirit of those involved in the rescue and relief operations. Together we will overcome this challenge," the President added.
Himachal Pradesh has recorded over 300 rain-related deaths this year, while the Yamuna in Delhi has crossed the danger mark, forcing evacuations in flood-prone areas. Punjab has confirmed widespread damage to crops and property, with nearly 3 lakh hectares of farmland under water.
Between September 1 and 5, Delhi received 719.5 mm of rain, Punjab 581.4 mm, Himachal 948 mm, Jammu and Kashmir 687.3 mm, and Assam 826.6 mm, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data.
In Punjab, the flood toll rose to 43, according to the state's Department of Information and Public Relations. The deaths were reported from Amritsar (5), Barnala (5), Bathinda (4), Fazilka (1), Ferozepur (1), Gurdaspur (2), Hoshiarpur (7), Mansa (3), Pathankot (6), Patiala (1), Rupnagar (1), Sangrur (1) and SAS Nagar (2) and Ludhiana (4). Three people remain missing.
Earlier in the day, Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria flagged off nine trucks loaded with relief material for families and animals affected by floods across the state. The relief consignment has been dispatched on behalf of the Red Cross Society from the Punjab Raj Bhawan.
According to an official statement, the trucks are bound for Ferozepur, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, Ludhiana, Malerkotla and Jalandhar, while relief will be distributed through the respective district Red Cross units to ensure timely delivery to those in need. The supplies include family tents, tarpaulins, kitchen sets, blankets and nearly 7,000 household kits containing essentials such as rations, sanitary pads and soap.
While Fazilka district continues to remain flooded due to the overflowing Satluj river after heavy rainfall, the National Disaster Response Forces (NDRF) teams continued to provide relief materials to people living in flood-affected areas.
Rekh Singh Meena, NDRF Sub-Inspector, stated that more than 1,500 villagers have been rescued, further stating that instructions were received from the District Commissioner to shift villagers to safer locations.
Meanwhile, in Delhi, rising waters of the Yamuna have once again thrown the lives of Delhi residents into disarray. In this difficult time, World Powerlifting Champion Mahant Gaurav Sharma, who has brought glory to India on the international stage, set an example of humanity by reaching out to flood-affected people and distributing food packets.
According to an official statement from Sharma's media team, he visited areas along the Yamuna where residents had been forced out of their homes and were taking refuge in temporary shelters and on the streets. He provided families with food, drinking water, and other essential supplies.
Four teams of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) have been deployed in the Kalindi Kunj area as parts of the locality were flooded after the water level swelled above the danger mark.
Speaking to ANI, Rajinder Singh, an official with the NDRF, said, "NDRF and the administration have made very good arrangements... Four teams have been deployed here, and we have rescued almost 1180 people."
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, has also sent a team of doctors and nurses to be deployed to extend medical relief and humanitarian support to the flood-affected areas of Punjab and Northern India. The deployed team includes specialists from Medicine, Psychiatry, Paediatrics, Community Medicine, Surgical Disciplines, Radiodiagnosis and Laboratory Medicine.
As flood waters continue to disrupt life, visuals from the Civil Lines area showed the Monasteary Market and Swaminarayan Temple being flooded by the Yamuna water.
In Uttarakhand, the Char Dham Yatra, along with the famous Gangotri and Yamunotri routes, has been disrupted due to the rains. The state government has requested Rs 5,702 crore to offset the losses to the state.
"The demand for Rs 5,702 crore has been made in response to the damage that has occurred across the entire state. The Chief Minister had requested Prime Minister Modi to compensate for the losses incurred...Our Char Dham Yatra has been affected, the Gangotri route has been closed for almost a month, and the Yamunotri route keeps getting disrupted intermittently," said the state's Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman.
In Jammu and Kashmir, villagers in the Bhaderwah district had been cut off after a cloudburst and flash floods, prompting the 4 Rashtriya Rifles unit of the Army to make a makeshift wooden footbridge in less than 18 hours to restore connectivity in the affected areas.
The calamity that struck Beja village earlier this week washed away vital roads, leaving residents of Butla, Beja, Shrekhi, and Katyara isolated from the main town.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that the monsoon situation across Kathua has improved after receiving an update from Kathua Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Sharma.
In a post on X, Singh said, "#Kathua: Received the update from DC Sh Rajesh Sharma. Weather conditions have improved today across the district. While the rest of the rehabilitation measures are in progress, every effort is being made to ensure that the road connectivity to Bani gets restored by this evening."
The IMD has further predicted heavy rainfall in parts of Northeast India, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan on September 6. The IMD has also predicted thunderstorms and lightning in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Rajasthan, Bengal, and Sikkim.
The IMD has also warned of moderate flash floods in Gujarat, West Madhya Pradesh, East Rajasthan and parts of Maharashtra on September 6.