Unseaonal Rains Claim 17 lives ,damage Crops in North India
16 May, New Delhi
Widespread rain battered large swathes of North India bringing mercury down by several notches, even as it claimed 17 lives and damaged crops in several regions.
Officials sources said twelve people were killed in Rajasthan due to rain, lightning and hailstorms in the last 36 hours, which also destroyed standing Rabi crops in the state. In Jammu and Kashmir, three persons were killed and four injured in landslides and avalanche in Kashmir and Poonch Sunday .
The avalanches and landslides were triggered after fresh snowfall in upper reaches and rain in Kashmir valley. Incessant rain across the state and fresh heavy snowfall in higher reaches of the valley and parts of Jammu have paralyzed normal life.
Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and Batote-Doda-Kishtwar road have been closed due to landslides at several places . Chopper service to Mata Vaishnodevi shrine from Katra base camp also remained suspended yesterday.
A Meteorological department official said that western disturbance is active in the state which could result in moderate to rather heavy rain or snow at most places in the state Monday..
In Uttarakhand, two persons were killed in rock-slide triggered by heavy rain yesterday. In Himachal Pradesh, fresh bout of snowfall was witnessed in tribal areas and other higher reaches while rain lashed mid and lower hills.
Avalanche threat loomed large over high altitude tribal areas above 2,500 feet as melting of snow and glacier movement could accelerate in next few days. The high-altitude tribal areas reeled under biting cold wave conditions with minimum temperatures ranging between minus 12 and minus 18 degrees.
Cold conditions returned to Delhi after the showers as the day temperature plummeted to 19.6 degree Celsius, nine degrees below normal. Minimum temperature was recorded at 16.6 degrees yesterday, which was two notches above normal.
In Uttar Pradesh, unseasonal intermittent rain and hailstorms have hit many parts of the state. After a week long rest, rain and hailstorms again took Agra, Chitrakoot, Kanpur, Merrut, and Bareilly divisions in grip damaging standing crops.
Hailstorm and rain have caused extensive damage to wheat, mustard and potato crops in Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Kanpur, Farrukhabad and neighboring districts in the state. According to weathermen the rainy condition may prevail today also.