New Delhi, July 10 -- Heavy monsoon rain continued to batter large parts of the country on Friday, triggering fresh landslides, floods and transport disruptions across several states, while at least five more people lost their lives in rain-related incidents. Hill states such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand witnessed road closures and damage to highways, northeastern states struggled with overflowing rivers and evacuations, and railway services on the Mumbai-Pune route remained severely affected. Even as Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan received a break from days of heavy rainfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that widespread rain would continue across much of the Northeast over the coming week.
In Himachal Pradesh, heavy to extremely heavy rainfall disrupted normal life, damaging infrastructure, uprooting trees and blocking several roads. Schools remained closed in many parts of the state. A 70-year-old man was killed after
falling boulders from a hillside struck him on the Buanda-Chwai road in Kullu district. In Solan district's Arki area, two people were injured after a boulder crashed into their vehicle.
Officials said 27 link roads in Shimla district remained closed, causing inconvenience to commuters. Rockfalls were reported on the Kalka-Shimla National Highway, particularly between Waknaghat and Kandaghat and between Dharampur and Chakki Mod. Authorities also warned that continued rainfall could threaten the Sangla bridge in Kinnaur district, built last year with assistance from the Border Roads Organisation and the Indian Army. Any major damage to the bridge could cut off the Sangla Valley. The local meteorological office said Sirmaur and Solan districts received the highest rainfall since Thursday evening.
Uttarakhand also remained on high alert after heavy rain over the past 24 hours triggered landslides and blocked 118 roads, including the Yamunotri National Highway. A teenager died and several people were injured in separate incidents. Schools remained closed in affected areas as authorities stepped up monitoring following forecasts of heavy to very heavy rainfall.
A landslide damaged a 100-metre stretch of the Yamunotri National Highway near Syanachatti in Uttarkashi district, where repair work is underway. The Gangotri National Highway also faced repeated disruptions due to falling rocks at Nagun and Nalu Pani. Continuous rainfall caused the Ganga, Yamuna and several tributaries to swell, increasing concerns in low-lying areas.
The Northeast continued to grapple with severe flooding and landslides. In Mizoram's Lunglei district, bordering Bangladesh, more than 80 families were shifted to safer places after the Khawthlangtuipui river overflowed following a week of relentless rain. Officials said landslides, rockfalls and other rain-related incidents had been reported at more than 29 locations across the state, though no deaths have been reported so far.
National Highway 54 remained blocked by a massive landslide near Bualte village in Lunglei district, leaving several tourists stranded for four days. The landslide has also cut off Lawngtlai and Siaha districts from the rest of the state. The Aizawl-Thenzawl-Lunglei highway has also been blocked due to major rockfalls near Ngaizel on the southern outskirts of Aizawl.
In neighbouring Tripura, floods triggered by heavy rainfall over the past few days damaged more than 4,000 houses and forced nearly 11,000 people into relief camps. Officials said no deaths had been reported. Arunachal Pradesh reported fresh floods and landslides in West Kameng, Upper Subansiri and Tirap districts, damaging homes, roads and agricultural land. The recovery of a missing woman's body in Papum Pare district pushed the state's flood-related death toll to seven.
In Assam, disaster management authorities urged residents to remain cautious after the IMD forecast widespread rainfall across the state, including Guwahati, over the next few days. Officials warned of possible waterlogging, flash floods, traffic disruptions and localised landslides in vulnerable areas.
In Uttar Pradesh, heavy rainfall claimed more lives as different districts reported fatal incidents. A 28-year-old man died after allegedly falling into a roadside drain filled with rainwater while heading to work in Noida's Sector 58. In Muzaffarnagar, a 60-year-old woman was killed and her husband injured when their mud house collapsed. A 21-year-old farmer died after being struck by lightning while working in a paddy field in Balrampur.
The state also recorded intense rainfall. Mawana in Meerut district received 315 mm of rain in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am, the highest in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Jansath in Muzaffarnagar with 270.1 mm. The IMD attributed the active monsoon conditions to an upper-air cyclonic circulation over central Uttar Pradesh and a well-marked low-pressure area over northwest Madhya Pradesh. An orange alert remains in force till July 11, with heavy to very heavy rainfall expected at many places.
In West Bengal, heavy showers disrupted daily life, especially in Kolkata, where waterlogging slowed traffic in several areas, including the IT hub of Sector V in Salt Lake. Schoolchildren and office-goers faced long delays as rain continued through the morning. Cooch Behar recorded the state's highest rainfall at 143 mm during the 24-hour period ending Friday morning, while Dum Dum, home to Kolkata airport, received 96 mm.
Delhi, however, witnessed clear skies after two days of persistent rain. Weather experts said the capital is likely to remain largely dry and warmer until July 15. Skymet Weather vice president Mahesh Palawat said rainfall activity would stay subdued because the monsoon trough has shifted towards the Himalayan foothills. Rajasthan is also expected to see weaker monsoon conditions for about a week, with mostly dry weather and only isolated light showers.
The IMD said fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is likely across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura between July 10 and July 16, while rainfall activity is expected to remain subdued over central and south Peninsular India during the next six to seven days.
Elsewhere, light to moderate rain continued in parts of Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh, keeping daytime temperatures below normal. Rail services on the Mumbai-Pune corridor will remain disrupted until July 17 after landslides triggered by torrential rain on July 6 damaged the Bhor Ghat section between Karjat and Lonavala, forcing the Central Railway to cancel 30 long-distance and intercity trains. In Kerala, one more body was recovered from the Wayanad landslide site, taking the death toll in the disaster to seven.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.