North India battles monsoon problems as heavy rain is expected to occur in multiple states.

India’s north, northwest, and northeast continue to battle the onslaught of monsoon and flooding, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a warning for heavy rainfall in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, J&K, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and northern Bengal on Sunday.
★Floodwaters are receding in some areas of Punjab and Haryana, but the water levels of rivers such as the Yamuna, Beas, Sutlej, Ravi, and Ghaggar remain high, raising concerns of further flooding if the forecasted heavy rain in the Himalayas materializes.
★Uttarakhand remains on an orange alert until July 18, while the Shimla weather office predicts heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning in 10 districts, including Una, Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, and Mandi. The forecast warns of potential damage to standing crops, fruit plants, and new plantings, as well as the risk of landslides, flash floods, mudslides, and swollen rivers. Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti are under a yellow warning.
★In Bihar, relentless rainfall in Nepal and the state has caused the water levels of the Kosi, Gandak, and smaller rivers in Araria district to rise. A road diversion in Araria was washed away on Friday, leading to disruptions in traffic on NH-327E, which connects to Siliguri in north Bengal.
★The downpours have resulted in several fatalities. Bihar reported 17 deaths due to lightning strikes across 11 districts. In J&K’s Kathua district, two minor girls were swept away by flash floods, while two others were rescued.
★Assam has witnessed a significant deterioration in the flood situation, with the number of affected people surpassing 1,00,000. While excess water released from dams in Bhutan has submerged several villages in lower and western Assam, the rain impact has been particularly severe in northern and upper Assam districts. The Brahmaputra and its tributaries are dangerously close to breaching the danger level.
★Landslides along the Badrinath route in Uttarakhand disrupted traffic temporarily on Saturday morning due to continuous rainfall. Tehri, Dehradun, and Haridwar districts, situated along the Char Dham route, have been put on high alert in anticipation of heavy to very heavy rain.
★As the monsoon season persists, the affected states remain on high alert, with authorities striving to mitigate the impact of the heavy rain and flooding. The focus is on rescue and relief operations, ensuring the safety and well-being of the affected population, and restoring normalcy in the rain-battered regions.
★Himachal claims to have evacuated all 70,000 stranded tourists, although the state’s estimated calamity bill stands at Rs 8,000 crore.
★Punjab and Haryana are also working towards providing relief and assistance to the affected, with 25,160 people being relocated to safer locations. Health departments are taking measures to prevent water and vector-borne diseases. Medical camps have been set up, and medications are being distributed.
★Haryana has also evacuated 4,495 people, with 13 districts affected by the recent heavy downpour, including Ambala and Fatehabad.
★The overflowing Ghaggar river continues to wreak havoc in Khanauri and Moonak blocks of Punjab’s Sangrur district, submerging vast areas. The river poses a threat to Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh district, leading authorities to initiate an evacuation plan. Officials have identified 25 severely vulnerable villages.
★UP CM Yogi Adityanath has assessed the flood situation in Gonda and directed officials to provide assistance to those affected by the overflowing Ghaghara and Saryu rivers. Although Gonda received below-normal rainfall, heavy downpours in Nepal and Uttarakhand’s catchment areas have caused flooding.
★Odisha has placed 11 districts under an orange alert due to a cyclonic circulation in the Bay of Bengal. The state has been experiencing heavy rainfall since Friday, with a delay in the onset of the monsoon and a 28% rain deficit.