Monsoon Havoc Across India—Landslides, Deaths, and Widespread Alerts
India is witnessing a severe spell of monsoon rains that has triggered landslides, infrastructure damage, and tragic fatalities across multiple states. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued heavy rainfall alerts for Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, West Uttar Pradesh, and Mizoram, extending over the next five to seven days. The warning also covers parts of East Central India and adjoining peninsular regions, with a fresh phase of intense rainfall expected between August 13 and 16 in Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and coastal Andhra Pradesh.
In Himachal Pradesh, the situation is particularly dire. On Saturday night, a pilgrim from Punjab was killed near Kanfara when rocks fell from a hillside while he was en route to the Shri Naina Devi temple. Another person was seriously injured. In a separate incident, the body of Suraj Das, a Kolkata resident participating in the Kinnaur Kailash Yatra, was recovered near Parvati Kund. The death toll from the pilgrimage has now risen to four.
A temporary lake formed by debris near Kumarhatti poses a major threat to nearby homes, prompting emergency evacuations. The state has reported damage to 359 roads, 145 power transformers, and 520 drinking water schemes. In Shimla, Kullu, and Manali, continuous rainfall has disrupted traffic and triggered landslides, with large boulders falling in areas like Kala Chow in Sainj village.
Telangana is also under alert until August 17. Hyderabad experienced heavy rainfall on Saturday night, followed by intense showers across several districts on Sunday. Wind speeds may reach 30–40 km/h, and waterlogging has affected urban mobility.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi temple was temporarily halted due to five hours of torrential rain in the Trikuta hills. Dense fog grounded helicopter services, forcing most pilgrims to walk or use horses, mules, and palanquins to reach the shrine. Authorities have deployed additional personnel to ensure safety and manage the influx of devotees.
As monsoon activity intensifies, state governments and disaster response teams remain on high alert, urging citizens to avoid travel to vulnerable regions and follow official advisories.
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