Ambala (Haryana) [India], July 11 : Heavy rainfall across the entire North Indian belt and esoecially in states such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana not only affected normal life but also threw the travel plans of railway passengers haywire.
Severe waterlogging saw railway tracks going under water, leading to suspension of services and diversion of trains on the Sanehwal-Ambala route, informed Northern Railway.
"Train services on the Sanehwal-Ambala rail route was affected and several trains were diverted on account of inclement weather and heavy rainfall in North India. Train numbers18102, 12266, 14034, 12414, 12446, and 12426 were diverted," informed Deepak Kumar, chief public relations officer at Northern Railway.
Meanwhile, incessant rains over the past three days wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh triggering landslides, causing power disruption, blocking roads, and damaging bridges.
Swollen rivers on account of unrelenting and heavy showers demonstrated nature's fury, claiming 20 lives in the state over the last 48 hours.
Tourists were stranded in parts of the hill-state with an initial official estimate pegging the loss to infrastructure at between Rs 3000 crore to Rs. 4000 crore.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state had not experienced such heavy rains in the past 50 years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the Himachal CM on the prevailing situation, assuring him of full support.
The chief minister urged the Centre to declare the landslides and flooding in the state "as a national calamity", saying the recovery from the damage to property and public infrastructure is likely to be a long-drawn affair.
Kullu has been among the worst affected districts of Himachal Pradesh, viral clips showing a truck being swept away by the rising tides of the Beas.
In Mandi, Panchvaktra temple was swamped and submerged by the waters gushing in from the Beas.
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