Here are the latest updates from Sikkim:

• A day after the flash floods struck the northeastern state, officials report that 98 persons, including 22 army personnel, are missing. Although four corpses of military personnel have been recovered, it is still unclear whether they belong to the 22 missing soldiers. Meanwhile, 26 people have been injured and are being treated in facilities throughout Sikkim.
• To date, 2,011 individuals have been rescued. According to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA), 22,034 individuals have been affected by the disaster, as reported by PTI.
• The Teesta River’s rapid floods caused a massive accumulation of water, which then turned toward the Chungthang dam and destroyed the power infrastructure before moving downstream.
• According to reports, approximately 10,000 people have been affected by the disaster in the Mangan district, 6,895 in Pakyong, 2,579 in Namchi, and 2,570 in Gangtok.

• The flood has devastated 11 bridges in the state – out of which eight have been washed away. PTI reported that water pipelines, sewage lines, and 277 wooden and concrete homes have been devastated in the four affected districts.
• Reports indicate that more than 3,000 tourists, including expatriates, are stranded in various regions of Sikkim. The evacuation of the stranded tourists has been deemed a top priority, and it has been determined to airlift them to Mangan; however, Thursday’s bad weather prevented this from occurring. “If the weather cooperates, tourists stranded in Lachen and Lachung will be evacuated beginning tomorrow,” a government official told PTI.
• The government of Sikkim has advised tourists to postpone travel until the situation normalizes. “Due to the unprecedented situation created by the Teesta river flooding, all tourists planning to visit Sikkim are advised to postpone their trip until the situation normalizes,” the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department advised.
• After the flood waters recede, the Centre will conduct a thorough assessment of the damage to Sikkim’s hydroelectric projects, the power ministry announced on Thursday. It was also stated that the state-owned NHPC is taking all feasible steps to expedite the hydropower projects’ implementation.

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• Earlier in the day, Sikkim’s chief minister Prem Singh Tamang visited one of the most severely afflicted regions, Singtam, to assess the situation. He also penned a letter to Prime Minister Modi requesting assistance, particularly in areas requiring immediate intervention, according to officials.
• According to a 2013 report from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), the likelihood of Lhonak Lake overflowing its banks was 42%, as reported by Reuters. According to the report, the lake expanded from 17.54 hectares (43.34 acres) in 1977 to 98.73 hectares (243.97 acres) in 2008.

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Officials discovered the body of a female rhino floating in the water, and they speculated that she may have drowned after making the discovery.

Forest officials have reported that three adult rhinoceroses have been found dead in the state so far this year, with two of those deaths occurring just this month alone.

Regarding the death of the Pobitora rhino, officials have stated that the water level in the areas surrounding the wildlife sanctuary has risen as a result of recent rains, which increases the possibility of individuals becoming submerged in water and passing out.

According to a statement made by an official, “some more wild animals have died as a result of the floods in recent times,” and “this female rhino might have died after failing to cross the flood water.”

The body has been removed for more examinations, and officials have stated that they are looking into the possibility of poaching as a contributing factor in the death.

The body of an elderly female rhino was discovered on August 6 at Kohora range, which is located close to Kaziranga National Park.

Officials have stated that a group of forest rangers who were conducting routine patrols along the banks of the Diphlu river close to the Salmara forest region discovered the body and recovered it from that location.

An official from Kaziranga National Park named Jatindra Sarma stated that “According to initial investigations, it looked like the rhino had died due to old age because its horn was also intact, which suggests that this was not a poaching case.” Jatindra Sarma was quoted as saying “It looked like the rhino had died due to old age because its horn was also intact.”

On the same day, August 20, the body of a male rhino estimated to be 18 years old was discovered in Assam’s Manas National Park. Forest officials determined that the rhino had died of natural causes.

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According to the director of Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve, Vaibhav C. Mathur, they conducted an autopsy on the body, and the results indicated that the individual had died of natural causes.

“Our officials have confirmed that it was a male rhino around 18 years old, and most likely died from infighting,” he continued. “Our officials have confirmed that it was a male rhino.”

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It has been stated repeatedly that poor drainage maintenance is only a minor cause of this mess, and that the true culprits are planned and unplanned developments that disregard the land profile of the settlements. These developments have become more aggressive, less scientific, and expedient in recent years. The Pragati Maidan and surrounding infrastructure in the center of Delhi is a prime example. In this location, which is mere metres from the Yamuna, waterlogging plagues city traffic. When one realizes that Pragati Maidan was once a wetland in the Yamuna floodplains, this remains one of the most ill-informed decisions.

The majority of master plans in India have imitated Delhi’s structure and standards, making it India’s planning leader. Cities across the nation are inundated during the rainy season, but not for the same reason. Rather, this is due to the multiple ways in which their land profile and hydrology have been neglected by the master plans. Ring roads have become a national ailment, impeding the nation’s surface water flow. In spite of the National Capital Region Planning Board’s hydrological studies conducted decades ago, the city of Delhi is now planning its third ring road. Their suggestions were never implemented.

The geography of Delhi is also well-studied, particularly after a decade of extensive and costly GIS surveys of the terrain. Again, these studies did not influence any development decisions. A society obsessed with speed, fueled by new affluence and an ever-increasing auto industry, justifies the expansion of transportation infrastructure. No political party is courageous enough to make difficult judgments regarding transportation infrastructure, parking, and pollution.

Again, even if futile, we must dare to suggest some measures to reduce public suffering, massive recurring economic losses, and the post-flood health issues confronted by the poor and the wealthy. Continually, the riverbed is being encroached upon by both authorized and unauthorised development. Along the riverbank, massive unauthorized housing encroachments the size of India’s small cities are growing taller and denser. Tunnels and flyovers are proliferating in low-lying areas while a well-intentioned master plan remains unnoticed. Delhi is a large city, and so are the capital’s personalities, development arrogance, and the magnitude of its infrastructure misadventures.

Possibly it is still possible to enhance the city if the authorities make some tough choices. Can we devise a comprehensive plan for water management? The Disaster Management Authority, the NCR Board, the Delhi Development Authority, the Delhi State Government, and the Irrigation Department could collaborate on such a plan. The focus could be on revisiting the master plan calculations for water demand and the GIS-based land analysis, accelerating the Delhi government’s projects for redevelopment of lakes, revisiting waste water recycling to meet at least 50 percent of Delhi’s water requirements, and instituting a ban on development-based invasion of the Yamuna riverbed.

Forget for a moment about vehicular pace and instead concentrate on people, their walkability, and localized drainage plans. While technological advancements have occurred, our planning has remained static and conservative. Such a water-based master plan should be owned by the DDA (Delhi Development Authority), in whose hands the Delhi master plan resides.

India, according to government claims, is the fourth wealthiest nation in the globe. On the majority of initiatives, we have funds for grandiose ambitions, road networks, and pricey hard sells. The private sector has never been a better ally of government agencies. What is required are city-level leaders with a clear vision and the courage to make difficult decisions.

Incalculable are the estimated losses from disasters in city after city. Official estimates never account for the enormous social and health costs that the people, especially the impoverished, incur when their homes and means of subsistence are simultaneously destroyed by floods. Can we continue to take one step forward and two steps back with each monsoon? Enough is sufficient. Now, we need a national strategy to combat flooding. Each city or settlement is susceptible to flooding in various ways. Can a state-wide time-bound action plan begin with an analysis of landform and hydrological characteristics? Since 1988, there has been no national urbanization policy. Can we devise, on the premise of firefighting, a national water management plan that is decentralized and based on local realities (rather than megaprojects such as the concept of river-linking)? Obviously, such a plan cannot address the Himalayan region’s calamities or the impending sea invasions along the coast. These are larger decisions made by centralized organizations. Let’s focus on urban and settlement inundation for the time being. If the local population is actively involved in planning and implementation, this can become a major source of employment. Let’s get serious.

Also read this:Rising Yamuna River water level: Yamuna water level may cross 207.72m; ‘Not good news for Delhi’, says Kejriwal

The author is an urban designer and former director of the urban design department at New Delhi’s School of Planning and Architecture.

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After surpassing the previous record of 207.49 meters at 1 p.m., the Yamuna reached 207.72 meters by 4 p.m., according to a representative of the Central Water Commission.

Kejriwal stated in a tweet that the water level in the Yamuna is rising despite “no rains in Delhi” over the past two days due to “abnormally high volumes of water being released by Haryana at the Hathna Kund barrage.” The chief minister requested intervention from the federal government to prevent the Yamuna’s water level from rising further.

“The Central Water Commission predicts a Yamuna water level of 207.72 meters tonight,” Not favorable news for Delhi, tweeted Kejriwal.

“There have been no rains in Delhi over the past two days, but the Yamuna is rising owing to the release of abnormally large volumes of water by Haryana at the Hathna Kund barrage. “I urge the Centre to intervene and prevent the Yamuna from rising further,” he added.

Later, at a press conference, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief stated that Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat informed him that the amount of water being discharged from Himachal Pradesh to Haryana has decreased, which will have an effect on the Yamuna’s water level.

However, he stated that it will take some time for the river’s water level to decrease.

The elevation of the Yamuna

The last time the Yamuna attained its highest water level was in 1978, when it surpassed 207.49 meters. Current Yamuna water level is 207.55 meters.

According to the Central Water Commission’s (CWC) flood-monitoring portal, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge surpassed 207 meters for the first time since 2013 at 4 a.m., and reached 207.55 meters by 1 p.m., shattering the 1978 record.

The river is expected to ascend to 207.72 feet and then remain stable, according to a CVC forecast.

On Monday night, the river surpassed the evacuation threshold of 206 metres, prompting the relocation of residents from flood-prone areas to safer locations and the closure of the Old Railway Bridge to vehicular and rail traffic.

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There were significant floods in Delhi in 1924, 1977, 1978, 1995, 2010, and 2013.

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On Monday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal deflected responsibility as waterlogging caused by two days of torrential rains paralyzed the national capital and residents questioned the effectiveness of the city’s water drainage system.

Kejriwal asserted that the city’s infrastructure was “not designed to withstand such unprecedented rainfall”; consequently, key roads were flooded, traffic was disrupted, and homes and businesses were flooded.

“Now is not the moment to point the finger at one another. “The governments of all affected states must collaborate to provide aid to the populace,” he said.

The AAP leader’s statement was made after he presided over a high-level meeting to assess the situation after record-breaking rainfall rendered Delhi inaccessible. He reported that the city received 153 millimeters of precipitation on July 8-9.

In response to the flood warning issued after a dam in Haryana released over one million cusecs of water into the Yamuna, Kejriwal assured that a flood-like situation in Delhi was unlikely.

“According to the CWC, the Yamuna river in Delhi is streaming at 203.58 meters. Tomorrow morning, it should reach 205.5 metres, according to forecasts. Also, according to weather forecasts, the Yamuna’s water level is not anticipated to rise significantly. If the Yamuna surpasses 206 meters, then we will begin evacuating the riverbanks,” he explained.

DELHI ON THE BRINK OF FLOODS?

Sunday morning at 8.30 a.m., the Safdarjung Observatory, the primary weather station in Delhi, measured 153 millimeters of precipitation. This is the greatest daily rainfall since July 25, 1982, when 169.9 mm was recorded.

In response to the torrential rainfall, the government of Delhi issued a flood warning, announced that all schools would be closed on Monday, and canceled the Sunday leave of government employees, ordering them to be on the job.

Tuesday, according to the Central Water Commission (CWC), the water level in the River Yamuna in Delhi will surpass the hazard level of 205.33 meters.

Also read this:Yamuna Alert: River Yamuna has crossed warning level in Delhi

According to officials, the low-lying areas near the river in Delhi are susceptible to inundation and are home to approximately 37,000 people.

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Himachal Rain:Persistent precipitation is wreaking devastation across multiple states in the nation, including the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh, The persistent rainfall has disrupted residents’ normal lives and caused flash floods and landslides in several regions. Sunday train service on the Shimla-Kalka heritage rail track has been canceled due to ongoing torrential rains, mudslides, and waterlogging, according to the HP Traffic, Tourist, and Railways Police. Tunnel No. 10 between Koti and Sanwara railway stations on the Kalka-Shimla railway route has also been closed due to intense rainfall, according to ANI. IMD predicts rain in the state through July 13

In the meantime, security teams are conducting rescue operations across the state to save people who are stranded due to persistent rainfall and flash flooding. ANI reported that due to heavy rainfall, the movement of vehicles from Kullu and Manali towards Atal Tunnel and Rohtang has been completely halted due to the falling of rocks at numerous locations along the Kullu-Manali road and the rise in water level in the Beas River near Ramshila.

Saturday, Himachal Pradesh Police rescued 30 college students who were stranded on the national highway between Gramphu and Chota Dharra due to flash floods and landslides. The students were traveling from Spiti to Manali.

ANI reported that a team of SDRF evacuated six persons who were trapped in their homes due to the rising water level of the Beas River in Pandoh’s lower market.

The flooding of the Beas River in Mandi and Kullu has halted traffic. Landslides have also restricted vehicular traffic on National Highway 3 from Mandi to Kullu. A vehicle was swept away in the Beas River near Kullu after heavy rainfall caused the river’s water level to rise.

This comes one day after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a Red Alert for Himachal Pradesh, warning of heavy to exceptionally heavy rainfall on July 8 and 9, with the possibility of downpours exceeding 204.4 millimeters.

The alert emphasizes the need for residents to remain safe and prepared for potential inundation and landslides in the area. To ensure their safety in the face of the predicted severe weather, authorities urge individuals to take the necessary precautions and remain abreast of the most recent weather information. A’red’ rain alert denotes the potential for more than 204 mm of rainfall in a single day.

On July 8 and 9, a ‘orange’ rain warning has also been issued for Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan, and Lahaul and Spiti, according to the statement.

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In addition, the weather service warned of flash flooding along waterways in the districts of Kangra, Chamba, Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Sirmaur, Solan, and Una, as well as disruptions to water, electricity, and communication infrastructure in the low and mid hills.

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