By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
With monsoon becoming active, incessant rains on Sunday lashed Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and several other areas in north India triggering flash floods and landslides and affecting normal life.
In Uttarakhand, a red alert was again sounded for second consecutive day for Monday as heavy rains continued to lash the state that triggered landslides and floods leaving three persons dead.
Met department sounded red alert for heavy to very heavy rain in Dehradun, Tehri and Haridwar districts in Uttarakhand for Monday with the administration deciding to close schools in these areas.
Two persons were killed after being struck by lightning in Haridwar. A child died after he was swept away in a swollen drain in Dehradun.
Heavy rain triggered landslides across Uttarakhand forcing the closure of 84 roads, including two national highways. The Tawaghat-Gunji National Highway in Pithoragarh and the Rishikesh-Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi were blocked at multiple locations due to debris and landslides. Road restoration work is underway.
In Dehradun, incessant rainfall caused the Rispana and several other seasonal rivers and streams to swell, while water levels in many rivers across the state rose sharply, keeping authorities on alert.
Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said district administrations have been directed to maintain round-the-clock vigilance, keep emergency operation centres functional, deploy rescue teams and ensure the availability of machinery at landslide-prone locations.
The SEOC has also advised Char Dham pilgrims, tourists and residents to avoid unnecessary travel, monitor weather and road conditions before undertaking journeys, and stay away from rivers, streams and waterlogged areas during intense rainfall.
During the past 24 hours, Haldwani received 108 mm of rain, followed by Thal (103.5 mm), Hathibarkala in Dehradun (93 mm), Dharchula (92.4 mm), Kashipur (73.5 mm) and Jauljibi (65.5 mm), reflecting the widespread intensity of the ongoing monsoon spell.
Torrential overnight rain triggered flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Sunday, inundating large parts of the town, sweeping away vehicles and forcing hundreds of residents to move to safer locations as rescue teams rushed to the affected areas.
Officials said the Darhali River overflowed after breaching a flood protection wall near Bela Colony, sending a torrent of water into low-lying areas, including the new bus stand. Dozens of vehicles were either swept away or submerged as floodwaters rapidly engulfed roads and residential localities. More than 50 families living near Abdullah Bridge were evacuated after their homes were flooded.
Tawi and Chenab rivers were also rising, officials said.
Captions:
Floods in Rajouri and Rispana in Dehradun
