Heavy Rainfall and Flooding Ravage Northern India: Monsoon Update 2023

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a forecast predicting "heavy to very heavy" rainfall over Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh in the next five days. The continuous rains in the northern parts of the country have disrupted normal life. Uttarakhand is on high alert as several areas in the state have been battered by heavy rainfall, causing the Ganga River to surpass the danger mark in Devprayag and reach the warning level in Haridwar. The rise in water levels of the Ganga is attributed to the substantial release of water from the dam of the GVK hydroelectric project situated on the Alaknanda River.

The Ganga River is currently flowing at a level of 463.20 meters, resulting in the flooding of Sangam Ghat, Ramkund, and Fuladi Ghat. Officials have reported that the Ganga crossed the warning level of 293 meters on Sunday evening in Haridwar, reaching 293.15 meters.

Warnings by the IMD

The Tehri district administration has issued a warning, urging people to stay away from the riverbanks. Brijesh Bhatt, Tehri District Disaster Management Officer, stated that the water level of the Ganga in the Muni ki Reti area of Tehri near Rishikesh has risen to 339.60 meters, slightly surpassing the warning level of 339.50 meters.

In addition, the water level of the Kali River in Dharchula area of Pithoragarh district has also exceeded the warning level of 889 meters. The weather office has also issued an orange alert for Monday in 13 districts of Uttarakhand, warning of heavy rains.

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The IMD has forecasted the possibility of heavy rains in parts of Uttar Pradesh over the next 72 hours. Areas such as Meerut, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, and Shamli are expected to experience heavy rainfall. Additionally, the IMD has predicted cloudy skies with light rain and thundershowers in Delhi on Monday.

Heavy rains pounded parts of the national capital on Sunday, causing the water level of the Yamuna River to recede to 205.52 meters. Certain areas of Delhi, particularly low-lying regions, have been inundated as the Yamuna breached its banks due to heavy rains in the upper catchment areas and the release of water from the Hathnikund barrage.

As a result, all schools located in areas bordering the Yamuna River will remain closed until July 18. The Delhi government issued a notification on Sunday stating, "In view of flood relief camps likely to continue to run in schools in the areas bordering the river Yamuna, all government, government-aided, and private recognized schools in the affected districts of DoE- east, north east, north west-A, central and south east- will remain closed for students on 17th and 18th July."

The heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding in northern India are causing significant disruptions, prompting authorities to take precautionary measures to ensure the safety of residents and minimize the impact on daily life.