The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday issued flash flood alert for Uttarakhand, Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as heavy rainfall continues to lash these regions.
“IMD Flood Alert! In the next 24 hours, moderate to high risk of flash floods is expected over parts of Uttarakhand, J&K, Ladakh & Himachal Pradesh,” IMD posted on X.
In Uttarakhand, flood alert was issued for Almora, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Dehradun, Pauri, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag, Tehri and Uttarkashi districts. In Himachal Pradesh, Chamba, Kangra, Kinnaur, Kullu, Lahul-Spiti, Mandi, Shimla and Sirmaur districts were put under flood alert.
This comes as water level of rivers have risen close to danger mark. The water level in the Tawi river was recorded at 13.5 feet around 8 pm, just 0.5 feet below the alert level and 3.5 feet below the danger mark, according to officials. Cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides and waterlogging are also likely at a few vulnerable places in the Union territory, PTI quoted officials as saying.
The districts under flood alert in the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh include Anantnag, Doda, Kathua, Kistwar, Kulgam, Poonch, Ramban, Riasi and Udhampur.
In Jammu, people living in low-lying areas near the river were asked to relocate to safer places as the rain is expected to continue till Wednesday afternoon. Ramban district's Batote area recorded the highest rainfall of 55.1 mm from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday said the state has been declared disaster-affected. Two women were killed after houses collapsed in Solan district's Samloh and Kullu's Dhalpur.