Torrential rain kills one and injures three in India's Himachal Pradesh

'Heavy to very heavy' rainfall forecast for Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh over next five days

A man watches a swollen Beas River following heavy rains in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, India. AP

At least one person was killed and three injured after heavy rain fell in India’s Himachal Pradesh on Monday, as storms continue to cause destruction in the Himalayan state.

The state has been devastated by heavy rains that have led to the deaths of at least 119 people since the onset of the monsoon on June 24.

A dozen people were missing and 121 people have been injured across the state, the Himachal Pradesh Disaster Management Authority said.

Along with 41 instances of flash floods, the state has experienced 53 landslides, according to the authorities.

As many as seven districts of the total 12 remain affected due to severe flooding that has triggered power cuts and damaged infrastructure.

An entire village in Spiti district situated at an altitude of 4,080 metres was washed away due to flash floods at the weekend. Distressed residents were evacuated and have been moved to temporary shelters.

Meanwhile, hydropower projects in the state that were stalled due to flooding are gradually operating again as waters recede, according to the regional grid operator.

Among projects that have come back online are JSW Energy’s Karcham Wangtoo and Baspa plants, and SJVN’s Nathpa Jhakri plant, according to grid data confirmed by the companies.

But nearly 1.6 gigawatts of capacity in northern India remained offline as of Sunday, it said. Depending on power demand, one gigawatt can power between 750,000 and one million homes.

In the neighbouring Uttarakhand state, the Ganges river crossed a critical warning threshold of 293 metres and reached 293.15 metres in Haridwar on Sunday evening, due to the release of water from a dam after the levels of the glacial river of Alaknanda rose.

Kanwariyas, devotees of Hindu god Shiva, carry holy water from the Ganges during their 'Kanwar Yatra' pilgrimage after heavy rains in Haridwar. AFP

A flood-like situation is prevailing in 71 villages of Laksar, Khanpur, Roorkee, Bhagwanpur and Haridwar due to incessant rain in the past few days.

The disaster response force is carrying out rescue and relief operations.

In 2021, the state witnessed one of its worst floods after a flash flood was triggered by a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier breaking off, sending a torrent of water through narrow gorges in the state’s Chamoli region, killing more than 200 people.

India's Meteorological Department has forecast “heavy to very heavy” rainfall over Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh over the next five days.

In the capital Delhi, the flood situation continued as the water level in Yamuna river again increased slightly on Monday morning following heavy showers.

The river level surpassed the 204.5 metre danger mark, reaching 205.48 metres.

A metro train moves on a bridge as a house is submerged in flood waters in New Delhi, India. Reuters

The Wazirabad water treatment plant, one of three water treatment plants in the city that were shut due to the deluge, started operating on Monday and engineers were working round the clock to resume its full capacity, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.

“Capacity of the Wazirabad Water treatment plant is 134 MGD. It has started producing 54 MGD. The equipment got most damaged in this plant. Hopefully, it should start working at full capacity soon. Engineers are working 24x7,” Mr Kejriwal said.

Heavy rains and floods have also wreaked havoc in the north-eastern Assam state leaving nearly 100,000 people homeless, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority. At least seven people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents.

More than ten districts are under deluge and authorities are operating 17 relief camps, as well as 50 relief distribution centres.