Rain mayhem: Kashmir cut off , Yamuna threatens Delhi

Incessant and torrential rains battered the northern states on Thursday, with Himachal Pradesh reeling under the natural disaster ever since the onset of monsoon and Delhi getting impacted due to the rising water levels of the Yamuna river. Educational institutions have been shut down, normal life has been adversely affected and business has come to a standstill due to the heavy rains and flood-like situation in states like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.

Floods damaged more than 110 km of the India-Pakistan international border (IB) fence and inundated about 90 BSF posts in the forward areas of Jammu and Punjab, official sources said on Thursday. A total of 283 houses were damaged and 950 people evacuated following heavy rains, flash floods and landslides in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district, officials said on Thursday. The district suffered damage to 84 roads, 98 water supply schemes and 71 power feeders due to continuous rains, they added. "Due to incessant rainfall, a sudden cloudburst triggered landslides and flash floods at Drubla village of Rajgarh tehsil on August 29, causing damage to roads and other infrastructure," Ramban Deputy Commissioner Alyas Khan said.

Two houses collapsed following a landslide in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district on Thursday, leaving one person dead and six more buried under the rubble, officials said. A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued three people, including a woman, and recovered one body. Incessant rains in the past three-four days have triggered landslides at several places and three people have been rescued, one body recovered while search is on for six people buried under the rubble of the house in Akhada Bazaar, Deputy Commissioner, Kullu, Torul S Ravish said, adding rains are obstructing the rescue work. A total of 1,292 roads are closed in the state. While 294 were blocked in Mandi, 226 are in Kullu, 216 in Shimla, 204 in Chamba and 91 in Sirmaur district, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.

#Landslide | Kullu (HP) | 04 Sep

Landslide caused collapse of 02 houses
12–13 persons reported feared trapped
NDRF Team conducted #CSSR Ops
Rescued 3 injured & retrieved 1 body
#SAR Ops continue to locate trapped victims@HMOIndia @PIBHomeAffairs @PIBShimla @14NDRF pic.twitter.com/U4FTG8X90Q

— NDRF India I राष्ट्रीय आपदा मोचन बल ???????? (@NDRFHQ) September 4, 2025

Since the onset of monsoon in Himachal on June 20, the state has witnessed 95 flash floods, 45 cloudbursts and 127 major landslide incidents. At least 343 people have died in rain-related incidents and road accidents, while 43 are missing since the monsoon began. The state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 3,690 crore this monsoon so far, according to official data.

The Kashmir valley was cut off from the rest of the country as all surface links, including the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, were closed for traffic on Thursday due to multiple landslides and the washing away of road patches due to rain. The closure of highways and other inter-regional roads since August 26 has resulted in over 3,500 vehicles getting stuck at various places from Kathua to Kashmir. The highway was partially reopened on Monday to facilitate the movement of some stranded vehicles.

Besides this, important highways, including the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch highway and the Batote-Doda-Kishtwar highway, are shut for traffic in view of landslides and the washing away of portions of roads. Rail traffic has remained suspended in the Jammu railway division for the past nine days due to misalignment and breaches at multiple locations in the Pathankot-Jammu section following heavy rains and flash floods on August 26.

The water level in the Yamuna at Delhi’s Old Railway Bridge remained steady at 207.46 metres between 11 am and 12 noon on Thursday, officials said. They added that the level is expected to begin receding gradually, though floodwaters continue to inundate nearby areas and relief camps. Floodwaters reached near Delhi Secretariat, which houses the offices of the chief minister, cabinet ministers and key bureaucrats. Floodwaters also reached the Shri Marghat Wale Hanuman Baba Mandir near Kashmere Gate. According to the revenue department, 8,018 people have been moved to tents, while 2,030 have been shifted to 13 permanent shelters.

Punjab is currently facing one of its worst flood disasters in decades. The floods are a result of swollen rivers, the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi, along with seasonal rivulets caused by heavy rainfall in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The deluge has claimed 37 lives so far and impacted over 3.55 lakh people. Crops on more than 1.75 lakh hectares of land have perished in the floods, officials stated.