As monsoon takes over India, several parts of the country are struggling to keep up with it. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan , and Gujarat have been facing heavy rainfall and flood leading to a number of deaths and destructions in the affected regions.
In the latest update, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert for extremely heavy rainfall across Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, predicting severe weather disruptions from September 8 to 9. This comes as a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal intensifies into a depression, threatening widespread impacts across several states.
“A well marked low-pressure area lies over the northwest & adjoining central Bay of Bengal at 0830 hrs IST of today (Sept 8). It is likely to move nearly northwards and intensify into a Depression over northwest Bay of Bengal off North Odisha-West Bengal coasts on September 8. Thereafter, it is likely to move west-northwestwards across Gangetic West Bengal, north Odisha, Jharkhand and adjoining north Chhattisgarh during subsequent 3 days,” the IMD said.
Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam are set to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall due to the intensifying cyclonic system. This forecast exacerbates the current challenges faced by these regions, which are already grappling with flooding.
Vijayawada, in particular, has seen renewed flooding following a third breach in the Budameru Rivulet. CM Chandrababu Naidu said that two breaches have been closed and army is working to close the third one. With 46,320 individuals housed in 226 relief camps and multiple teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), relief operations are on. Consistent efforts are being made to provide aid to the affected residents.
In Telangana, 29 people have died due to heavy rainfall and floods. Santhi Kumari, Chief Secretary of the State said that 29 out of 33 districts have been declared flood-hit. She also assured that ex-gratia will be given to the relatives of those who lost lives due to flood.
Agricultural minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited flood hit areas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and assured that the Centre is working to provide help. He announced an immediate assistance of Rs 3,448 to the two states.
Madhya Maharashtra And Rajasthan
The IMD has predicted isolated very heavy rainfall in the ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra on September 8 and 9, and in Vidarbha on September 12. Central India is expected to see scattered light to moderate rainfall, with isolated heavy rainfall anticipated in Madhya Pradesh over the coming week.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan has been experiencing heavy rainfall, leading to the opening of four gates of the Bisalpur Dam in Bhilwara. A yellow alert has been issued for eastern Rajasthan, including Udaipur, Kota, Ajmer, and Jaipur, with ongoing heavy rains disrupting daily life and school closures.
Himachal Pradesh
In Himachal Pradesh, continuous heavy rains have led to road closures and damage to infrastructure. The state government has reported 47 closed roads and 19 affected utilities. A warning for low to moderate flash floods has been issued for Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur districts. The state has experienced significant rainfall deficits this monsoon season, with 157 reported deaths due to rain-related incidents.
In response to the ongoing challenges, the Himachal Pradesh government has signed an agreement with the IMD to establish 48 new automatic weather stations to improve real-time weather forecasting and response.
Other Regions Predicted To Be Affected
For the southern part of the country, isolated extremely heavy rainfall is forecasted for Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam on September 8, with very heavy rainfall expected in these areas and in Telangana on September 8 and 9. Other regions including Coastal Karnataka, Kerala, and Mahe are likely to experience light to moderate rainfall, while scattered rainfall is anticipated in Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, and interior Karnataka.
The IMD forecasts scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall over Northwest India for the next five days. Isolated heavy rainfall is expected in West Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and West Rajasthan on September 7 and 8, with additional heavy rains forecasted for Uttarakhand and East Uttar Pradesh from September 9 to 11.
