Several people were seen standing atop an overturned bus waiting to be rescued in Haryana in one of the many scenes of despair across north India which has been hit by monsoon fury.
The bus from Himachal Pradesh - worst-hit by rain - overturned on the flooded Ambala-Yamunanagar road. Visuals from the spot showed passengers trapped amid the raging floodwaters being rescued with the help of a crane and rope.
Heavy rain has been pounding north India, triggering landslides, damaging houses and claiming several lives in the past three days.
Several low-lying areas of Punjab and Haryana are practically under water after torrential rain, prompting authorities to swing into action in the worst-hit places. The heavy monsoon downpour led to traffic snarls on key road stretches in the two states and resulted in flight delays.
Haryana's Ambala administration announced holidays on Monday and Tuesday in all government and private schools of the district as more showers were forecast for the area. Three rivers Markanda, Ghaggar and Tangri were reported to flow close to the danger mark in Ambala. Schools have also been ordered to remain shut in Haryana's Panchkula district on Monday.
Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, has been receiving heavy downpour. According to weather data from 5.30 am to 8.30 am on Sunday, Chandigarh received 63 mm of rainfall. A large portion of a dividing road caved in the city amid the heavy rain.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has called for an emergency meeting to take stock of the situation.
Neighbouring Punjab, meanwhile, has already received nearly 70 percent of this month's quota of rain in just two days. Unprecedented scenes are being witnessed in the key cities of the state with residents being rescued in boats, people wading through neck-deep water and vehicles being swept away. Chandigarh, Mohali have recorded over 50 percent of their annual rain quota in the last 50 hours.
While life in urban areas has been completely thrown out of gear, thousands of acres of agricultural land with standing paddy crop has been submerged under water due to the incessant rain
Central and state rescue teams and even forces from the Indian Army have been brought in to carry out evacuations from the low-lying areas of Patiala, Rochar and Mohali - cities which are virtually underwater with Satlej, Beas Ghaggar rivers flowing above danger levels.
As Punjab is dealing with the state's worst flood situation in nearly a decade, Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann yesterday. "He enquired about the flood situation and we explained that the situation is currently under control and that we will reach out to him if there is a need," said Mr Mann.
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