High levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation have been recorded across Kerala, prompting warnings from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA). Residents are advised to take precautions to avoid prolonged exposure, especially during peak hours.
The IMD has issued an orange alert for heatwave conditions in parts of Kerala, prompting authorities to urge caution. Maximum temperatures are expected to reach up to 41 degrees Celsius in some districts. Strict guidelines have been issued, including the suspension of vacation classes and rescheduling of working hours.
A special audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has revealed that Odisha's forest and environment department sidestepped central guidelines, procuring and customising Mahindra Thar SUVs worth 17 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for forest protection, despite the funds being earmarked for 'preparedness and capacity building'.
A preliminary inquiry suggests electric firecrackers caused a devastating nightclub fire in Goa, resulting in 25 deaths. The incident has exposed illegalities and lax enforcement of safety rules.
A jampacked nightclub in North Goa turned into a death trap around midnight as a massive fire tore through it, claiming 25 lives and bringing to the fore illegalities along with the laxity of government officials in enforcing rules.
The Odisha government has initiated evacuations and deployed disaster response teams in anticipation of Cyclone 'Montha', which is expected to impact the southern and coastal regions of the state.
The Andhra Pradesh government has prepared an action plan for relief and essential supplies in pre-cyclone preparedness for Cyclone Montha, expected to cross the coast on October 28.
IMD weather forecast predicted a moderate to intense spell of rain in these areas for the next three to four hours.
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.
The exclusion of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde from the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has sparked speculation of a growing rift within the ruling Mahayuti coalition. This move, which has fueled tensions between Shinde and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, comes amidst reports of discontent within the coalition since its formation last November. Political observers view Shinde's absence from the key disaster response agency as a significant development, further highlighting potential power struggles within the government.
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.
Cadaver dogs from the Kerala Police are being sent to Hyderabad to assist in the rescue operation for eight people trapped in a tunnel collapse at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project in Telangana. The dogs, specially trained to locate missing humans and bodies, will join the rescue effort led by the NDRF, Indian Army, and Navy.
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.
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.
Seven rivers, including the Brahmaputra, were flowing above the danger level, even as the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in the state.
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 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.
Cadaver dogs from Kerala police have joined the rescue operation at the partially collapsed SLBC tunnel in Telangana, where eight people have been trapped since February 22. The dogs, specially trained to locate missing humans and human bodies, are being used to identify the presence of survivors in the tunnel. Rescue personnel, including NDRF teams, are also working tirelessly to reach the trapped individuals amidst challenging conditions, including slush and seepage of water.
Eight persons have been killed in floods and landslides in Assam as incessant rainfall caused massive inundation in 17 districts, affecting over 78,000 people, officials said on Saturday.
Vijayan said the news that the SDMA had directed scientific institutions and scientists not to visit the disaster-affected Meppadi panchayat in Wayanad and not to express their opinions was misleading.
The rain and flood situation in northeastern states remained grim on Tuesday, with lakhs people affected in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur, even as the meteorological department predicted more rain in several parts of the region.
So far, over 30 people have died across Northeastern states due to heavy rainfalls, floods and landslides, according to media reports.
As many as 48 NDRF and SDRF teams are extending relief while 197 medical camps have been set up.
The Wayanad district authorities said people from residential areas in the affected places were being shifted to safer locations.
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.
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kangana Ranaut visited some cloudburst-affected areas in Rampur, in Shimla on Tuesday, taking stock of the situation.
Forty-one Border Road Organisation labourers working to clear snow near the high altitude border village of Mana in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district were trapped under an avalanche on Friday.
The Uttar Pradesh government is expecting over 35 crore pilgrims to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, a significant increase from the 24 crore who attended the 2019 Kumbh Mela. The event, which will take place over 45 days, will feature extensive security and sanitation measures, as well as a digital component. The state government has allocated Rs 7,000 crore for the event.
Heavy rains continued to lash several parts of Kerala on Thursday, leading to waterlogging in the low-lying areas of major cities, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Thrissur.
The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Thursday even though flood waters started have receding in many parts of the state, officials said.
Aizawl has been cut off from the rest of the country due to a landslide on National Highway 6 at Hunthar.
Dhubri is the worst-hit district, followed by Cachar and Darrang.
Five major rivers, including the Brahmaputra at two places, were flowing over the danger level, it said.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy visited some inundated areas in their respective territories.
As heavy rains continue to lash Kerala, the India meteorological department on Friday issued an orange alert in eight districts in Kerala for Friday.
As Kerala battles severe heat, the meteorological department has issued a maximum temperature warning for 12 districts for the upcoming five days.
Assam's flood situation remained critical on Tuesday with over 6.71 lakh people affected in 20 districts in the second wave of flooding this year, as the Indian Air Force (IAF) rescued 13 stranded fishermen from the severely-hit Dibrugarh district, an official said.
An accurate early warning system that correlates rainfall and the potential for landslides. That is the imperative, say experts as rains create havoc in hills across India and the toll mounts in Kerala's Wayanad slopes where landslides buried entire homesteads and possibly hundreds of people.
'The larger story of systematic destruction, which can and has been quantified, goes mysteriously missing from any political and/or public discourse about the ongoing devastation in the Ghats,' notes Prem Panicker.
Altogether 34,189 people, comprising 14, 675 women and 3,787 children, are reeling under the impact of the deluge.
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