Cyclone Montha crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast, resulting in two deaths, extensive crop damage, and disruptions to power and transportation. Neighboring Telangana also experienced heavy rains. Government relief efforts are underway.
A Liberian cargo ship carrying 640 containers, including 13 hazardous cargoes, has sunk off the coast of Kerala, raising concerns of environmental damage. The ship, MSC ELSA 3, capsized and sank in the early hours of May 25 after listing rapidly. The three remaining crew members were rescued by the Indian Navy. The Indian Coast Guard is monitoring the situation for any oil spills and has positioned a ship with pollution response equipment at the scene. The ship was carrying 84.44 MT of diesel and 367.1 MT of furnace oil, in addition to the hazardous cargo. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has cautioned the public against touching any cargo containers or oil spills that may wash ashore.
The death toll in the collapse of an allegedly unauthorised building at Virar in Maharashtra's Palghar district has risen to 17. Police have arrested the builder of the four-storey structure after a complaint was lodged.
Shahjahanpur is preparing for its unique 'Laat Saheb' Holi procession, a tradition where revellers hurl footwear at a man impersonating a British Lord. Security has been heightened, mosques covered, and preventive measures taken to ensure a peaceful celebration.
Authorities continue evacuating stranded pilgrims from areas around Dharali village in Uttarkashi, focusing on air rescue and relief operations due to damaged roads. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is overseeing the efforts, with central government support.
Satat Sampada, the organisation of climate activist Harjeet Singh and his wife, said the allegations made by the Enforcement Directorate against the firm and its founder were baseless, biased and misleading.
Nearly 350 people were evacuated from Mumbai's Kurla area after the Mithi river swelled due to heavy rains. Authorities are monitoring the situation and working to ease the flow of water.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has declared a red alert in Palakkad district due to high levels of ultraviolet radiation. The UV index has been recorded at 11, with the highest levels occurring between 10 am and 3 pm. The KSDMA has advised the public to take safety precautions, including wearing protective clothing, hats, and sunglasses, and avoiding prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
The Maharashtra Highway Traffic Police have advised motorists to avoid the Mumbai-Pune Expressway until regular traffic movement is restored.
A coordination body of Ganesh mandals in Mumbai has appealed to them to keep the Ganpati festival apolitical, specially in view of the upcoming city civic body polls, and promote Marathi language and culture during the celebrations.
It further said that the owners, master and crew of the vessel handled the ship in a negligent manner despite being aware of the dangerous cargo it was carrying.
The coastal areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu are expected to experience the "kallakkadal phenomenon" on January 15 night, causing rough waves and a possible sea surge. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued an alert, advising coastal residents to move to safer locations and avoid venturing into the sea.
Scientists from the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Hyderabad conducted a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey inside the tunnel to look for signs of human presence.
The CRPF has created an exclusive team of about 1,800 personnel within its special anti-riots wing Rapid Action Force (RAF) to act as responders against CBRN attacks and various other disasters, a senior officer of the force said on Thursday.
A devastating flashflood in the Kheer Ganga river on August 5 demolished nearly half of Dharali -- the key stopover en route to Gangotri with many hotels and homestays, and neighbouring Harsil, where an Army camp bore the brunt of the flood fury, barely giving time to the victims to run to safety.
Following the gas leak and the subsequent fire, senior officials of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) from Rajahmundry rushed to Mori village, where the blaze broke out at Well Mori-5, the official said.
The death toll in the collapse of an unauthorised building in Virar, Maharashtra, has risen to 15. Rescue operations are ongoing to ensure no one remains trapped under the debris.
Heavy overnight rain in Gurugram caused widespread waterlogging and traffic gridlock, bringing the city to a standstill. Several residential areas and major roads were inundated, leading to commuter chaos.
An unauthorised four-story building collapsed in Virar, India, killing 17 people. The collapse occurred on Wednesday, and rescue operations are ongoing.
As many as 48 NDRF and SDRF teams are extending relief while 197 medical camps have been set up.
The Army unit deployed in Ashti successfully evacuated 40 people with the help of an NDRF team and other agencies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 1,600-crore assistance package for flood-hit Punjab after reviewing the damage. He also announced ex gratia for the deceased and injured. The state is battling its worst deluge since 1988.
The chief minister said the restrictions were lifted as the COVID-19 situation had improved and people were facing hardships due to the curbs.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has urged Mumbai citizens to take precautions as the city experiences heavy rainfall and anticipates high tides. Waterlogging has been reported in several areas, and officials are taking measures to ensure public safety and minimize disruptions.
The avalanche hit the BRO camp between Mana and Badrinath between 5:30 am and 6 am on Friday, burying the workers inside eight containers and a shed, according to the Army.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority on Wednesday favoured a unified legislation for disaster management.
The Wayanad district authorities said people from residential areas in the affected places were being shifted to safer locations.
Thane and Palghar districts in India experienced heavy rainfall, leading to road closures and the evacuation of residents from vulnerable areas. The rising water levels of the Ulhas River prompted authorities to close the Raite bridge on the Kalyan-Murbad road, diverting traffic via Titwala. In Ambernath, 50 residents were evacuated from Swabhiman Chali near the Ulhas river. Waterlogging was reported in low-lying areas of Kulgaon-Badlapur. Officials are monitoring the situation closely and urging timely reporting of incidents.
In a bid to enhance preparedness for disaster management among government officials involved in management of the annual Amarnath Yatra starting July 2, National Disaster Management Authority has planed to conduct a three-day mock drill.
The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KPCB) is on high alert after a Liberian vessel carrying hazardous cargo sank off the Kerala coast. While no calcium carbide containers have washed ashore yet, a thin layer of oil spill has been detected. The KPCB is working to contain the spill and prevent it from reaching the shore, but rough conditions at sea have hampered efforts to spray dispersants. The board is also taking steps to prevent the oil from reaching the Ashtamudi and Vembanad lakes.
Houses in low lying areas of Kerala were flooded in the heavy rains, while the accompanying strong winds uprooted trees, damaged homes and caused power disruptions, throwing normal way of life into disarray across the state.
Normally, the southwest monsoon makes its onset over Kerala by June 1 and covers the entire country by July 8. It starts retreating from northwest India around September 17 and withdraws completely by October 15.
Drawing lessons from security protocols of Parliament, the state is working closely with agencies like the Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd to design a multi-layered safety mechanism.
Hydrology experts suggest that India cannot be directly blamed for the devastating monsoon flooding in Pakistan this year, citing greater destruction upstream of the border and lack of evidence for intentional action.
Speaking at the national conference on 'Safe transportation of hazardous, dangerous goods through land, air, sea and pipelines in Ahmedabad on Monday, member of the NDMA J R Bharadwaj said that there was a gap between disaster mitigation and preparedness. "We have all the rules and regulation in place for crisis management, but the main problem lies in its implementation," Bharadwaj said.
'When an establishment operates despite demolition or closure orders, without proper fire exits, evacuation plans or safety audits, and yet is allowed to host large crowds, the state cannot hide behind the language of accident.' 'The authorities were aware of the risks and of the violations, but chose not to act decisively because doing so would have inconvenienced those with influence and financial stakes.' 'In such a scenario, the moral and legal responsibility for the resulting deaths moves from negligence towards culpability; calling it 'murder' is a way of underlining that these lives were sacrificed at the altar of greed and complicity, not fate.'
The Supreme Court of India dismissed a plea seeking directions on crowd management at the New Delhi railway station, following a stampede that resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people. The court questioned the claim of 200 deaths and suggested the petitioner approach the Delhi High Court.
States are mandated to develop and implement 'heat HAPs' for prevention of heat-induced diseases. But most do not go beyond standard advisory on heat prevention.
Issuing a notification, the Revenue and Disaster Management Authority claimed that the intelligence agencies have informed the government of several cases of attempted transfer of land by fraudulent means in some places.
The bodies of the last four of the trapped labourers were pulled out from the site of the avalanche-hit Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in Chamoli on Sunday, taking the death toll to eight as authorities ended the nearly 60-hour rescue operation.
