Heavy rain in several parts of north India has brought the region to its knees, claiming at least 19 lives in the past three days.
In cities and towns, many roads and buildings remain submerged in knee-deep water.
The weather department has predicted more downpour for Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Delhi and its adjoining areas over the next couple of days.
Frightening images of the chaos unleashed by the rains—vehicles floating like paper boats on inundated roads, muddy waters gushing into residential areas, temples and other structures submerged on the banks by the swollen rivers and land cave-ins—were shared online by people from Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi, among other places.
Heavy downpour warnings have been issued for certain areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, while in Delhi, which recorded its highest rainfall in a single day in July since 1982, authorities have cautioned over rising water level of the Yamuna.
In Himachal Pradesh, landslides and flash floods, triggered by incessant rain, damaged houses, structures and paralysed normal life. Some shops and vehicles were also washed away in flash floods in Manali, Kullu, Kinnaur and Chamba as all major rivers – including Ravi, Beas, Satluj, Swan and Chenab – are in spate.
In neighbouring Uttarakhand, three pilgrims drowned in the Ganga after their jeep fell into the river amid a landslide near Gular on the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway.
State Disaster Response Force and police officials said there were 11 people in the jeep. Five people have been rescued, while a search is on for three others, they said and added that three bodies have been recovered by rescue personnel.
Heavy rain in several parts of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana led to massive waterlogging and flooding in low-lying areas, prompting authorities to swing into action in the worst-hit places.
A red alert has been issued for Kathua and Samba districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Although, the Amarnath Yatra resumed on Sunday from the Panjtarni and the Sheshnag base camps after remaining suspended for three days.
In response to heavy rains, the Delhi government announced a closure of all schools on Monday and cancelled the Sunday leave of government officials, instructing them to be in the field. Waterlogging led to traffic woes with people wading through inundated roads, vehicles getting stuck and underpasses flooded.