Rescue teams on Friday recovered 12 more bodies, including 10 from the Territorial Army at the landslide-hit site in Manipur’s Noney district, taking the death toll in the tragedy to 20. Officials said 43 people were still missing following the mudslide that occurred at the railway construction camp in Tupul Yard on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.

Despite tremendous disparities in the rainfall received regionwise – excess in the northeast and dry in the northwest, India registered ‘normal’ rainfall in the month of June. Though the SW Monsoon has had a slow progress over peninsular India, it, on Thursday, except for large parts of Rajasthan, and some parts of Punjab and Haryana, had covered rest of the country.

India totalled 152.3 mm rainfall as against the normal of 165.3 mm registering a departure of minus 8 per cent. In India Meteorological Department (IMD) parlance, a departure of plus/minus 19 per cent is considered as ‘normal’ rainfall.

Manipur landslide: 16 bodies found, many missing

At least 20 bodies, including 10 Territorial Army personnel, were recovered after a massive landslide in Manipur’s Noney district, triggered by incessant rains over the past few days, buried dozens of people alive on Thursday, officials said.

Forty-seven people are missing while 81 are believed to be buried, officials said in the latest bulletin. Eighteen people have been rescued, it added.

At least 23 others were injured and rescued as rescue operations by the Central and state agencies were on at full pace.

According to local media reports earlier in the day, at least 51 more people are still missing.

The administration has cautioned civilians living in downstream areas of the Ijei river to evacuate due to the likelihood of breach in the dam created on the river by the landslide.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh also visited the incident site, for first-hand inputs on the rescue operations and announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Singh on Friday said that at least 50 people, who are missing, are feared dead. However, a rescue operation is on.

Mumbai: First Heavy Rains of Season Hit Trains and Bus Services

Trains and bus services in Mumbai were badly hit on Thursday evening as heavy rains lashed the city.Water-logging was witnessed in several low-lying areas due to the first heavy downpour of the season, civic officials said.

Road traffic either slowed down or stopped as several roads were waterlogged in areas like Hindmata, Parel, Kalachowki, Haji Ali, Dockyard Road, Gandhi Market and Bandra. The movement of local trains, Mumbai’s lifeline, was also affected due to waterlogging on tracks, especially between Kurla to Parel section on the Central Railway line and due to some technical glitches on the Western Railway route.Technical glitches brought the DOWN slow line traffic to a standstill for more than one and a half hours after 9.30 pm.

“Due to some technical issues in track points at Dadar and Parel stations, slow line trains b/w CSMT- Kurla section are getting delayed. The issue is expected to be resolved in next 15-20 mins,” Shivaji Sutar, chief public relations officer of Central Railway, said.

The weather department has also issued a yellow alert, predicting heavy rains at a few places in the city on July 1 and 2, an official said. The IMD Mumbai has forecast moderate to heavy rains with the possibility of “occasional intense spells” at isolated places in the city for 24 hours from Friday morning.

“Moderate to intense spells of rain very likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Palghar during next 3-4 hours,” IMD Mumbai said in a forecast.

Amid incessant rainfall in the city, two incidents of building collapse were reported at Kalbadevi and Sion areas. But there were no casualties and people were evacuated safely from the affected structures, officials said.As per official data, the island city received 119.09 mm rain, followed by western suburbs with 78.69 mm and eastern suburbs with 58.40 mm rainfall over a 12-hour period from 8 am till 8 pm.

Prior to 8 am, the island city, western suburbs and eastern parts had received 36.72 mm, 45.75 mm and 41.47 mm rainfall respectively in 24 hours.According to a BMC report, Colaba and Santacruz had reported 361.8 mm and 291.8 mm rainfall till Wednesday.

Mumbai had received just 11.72 per cent rainfall till June 29, of 2,472 mm average annual rainfall, the report stated.

Delhi: Southwest Monsoon arrives with bang

The monsoon rolled into Delhi on Thursday, yielding the season’s first spell of heavy rain which covered the precipitation deficit and brought the maximum temperature down to 29.4 degrees Celsius, the lowest in around four months. Most parts of the city reported moderate to heavy rainfall. The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi’s base station, recorded 116.6 mm downpour between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm.

The weather station at Lodhi Road gauged 107.6 mm precipitation during the same period. Ridge got 65 mm, Delhi University 58.5 mm, Pusa 44.5 mm, Palam 31.8 mm and Ayanagar 51.9 mm rainfall respectively. Rainfall recorded below 15 mm is considered light’, between 15 and 64.5 mm moderate’, between 64.5 mm and 115.5 mm heavy’, and between 115.6 and 204.4 very heavy’. Anything above 204.4 mm is considered extremely heavy rainfall’.

Mahesh Palawat, vice-president (climate change and meteorology), Skymet Weather, said westerly winds had disrupted the monsoon’s progress and it remained stalled over west Bihar for around eight to 10 days. The Delhi-NCR is expected to get plentiful rainfall in July and August, he added.

However, Thursday’s showers brought back familiar sights of serpentine queues of vehicles stuck on waterlogged roads. Many commuters reported late for office and several people posted their plight through videos and photographs on social media, with some seeking help from police.

The IMD has issued an orange’ alert, warning of moderate rainfall in the city on Friday. A yellow’ alert is in place for light rain on the subsequent six days. Last year, the IMD had forecast that the monsoon would arrive in Delhi nearly two weeks before its usual date. However, it reached the capital only on July 13, making it the most delayed in 19 years.

Uttar Pradesh: IMD Predicts More Rains in Next 48 Hrs

The much-awaited southwest monsoon hit almost the entire state, with at least 27 districts recording heavy rainfall on Thursday and bringing down the scorching temperatures. In Lucknow and nearby districts, the rains began in the morning and drizzle continued throughout the day. As per the MeT department forecast, more rains are expected across the state in the next 48 hours.

According to the India Meteorological Department, Uttar Pradesh recorded an average of 2.1 cm rainfall on Thursday till 3 pm, with 73 out of the total 75 districts receiving rainfall. As per the Zonal Meteorological Centre report of the last 24 hours, Paliakalan in Lakhimpur Kheri recorded the highest rainfall of 14 cm.

Mohammadabad in Ghazipur and Salempur in Deoria recorded 13 cm rainfall each in the same period, followed by 11 cm each in Hardoi, Dhaurhara and Mohammadi in Lakhimpur Kheri, and Nimsar in Sitapur. Ballia, Varanasi, Meja in Prayagraj, Hata in Kushinagar and Lucknow, each witnessed 5 cm rain.

Monsoon arrived in the plains of J&K’s Jammu division on Thursday as the Meteorological (MeT) department forecast frequent showers in the region.

Sonam Lotus, director of the MeT department for J&K and Ladakh said in a statement, “Monsoon arrived in plains of Jammu today morning.

“From today onwards, expect frequent showers, at times, intense in Jammu region especially in morning hours.

“Rain especially in morning hours is likely till July 5th, in spells, not continuous”.

Meanwhile, at 34 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, Srinagar recorded the hottest day of the season while the people in Jammu got relief from sweltering heat due to rain.

Rajasthan: Lawan Gets Highest 100 Mm Rainfall

Monsoon arrived in Rajasthan on Thursday, eight days after the normal onset date. During the last 24 hours, heavy rain was recorded at isolated places in Bhatarpur, Dausa, Alwar, Baran and Jaipur districts of east Rajasthan.

The highest rainfall was recorded in Lawan of Dausa at 100 mm. Director of Jaipur Meteorological Centre, Radheshyam Sharma said usually monsoon enters Rajasthan from Kota and Udaipur divisions of south eastern parts, but this time it has entered from Alwar, Kota and Bharatpur in eastern Rajasthan and not from south Rajasthan.

Conditions are favourable for further advancement of monsoon into some more parts of the state in the next 24 to 48 hours, he said. According to the meteorological department, during the last 24 hours, 85 mm rainfall was recorded in Shahpura in Jaipur, 85 mm in Bansur of Alwar, 73 mm in Malkheda, 69mm in Shahbad, 61 mm in Dausa, 60 mm in Sawai Madhopur.

Rainfall ranging from 58 mm to 30 mm was recorded in many parts. Sharma said till 5.30 pm on Thursday, 53.4 mm of rain was recorded in Alwar, 26.2 mm in Kota, 9.1 mm in Pilani.

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