UTTARKASHI/SHIMLA — A cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district early Sunday claimed the lives of two construction workers and left seven others missing, as torrential rains from an early monsoon triggered flash floods and landslides across northern and eastern India.
Officials said the cloudburst struck near the Yamunotri National Highway, sweeping away temporary shelters of 29 labourers working on a hotel construction project. Twenty workers were rescued, but nine were reported missing. By morning, the bodies of two—believed to be of Nepalese origin—were recovered from the Yamuna’s banks nearly 18 km downstream.
“The highway remains blocked due to debris. Pilgrims returning from Yamunotri have been asked to remain at safe locations,” said Uttarkashi district magistrate Prashant Arya. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in several districts of Uttarakhand, including Uttarkashi, Dehradun, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Pauri, Haridwar and Nainital. The Char Dham Yatra has been temporarily suspended as a precaution.
This year’s southwest monsoon has covered the entire country nearly a week ahead of schedule, the earliest such advance since 2020. While it reached Delhi two days late on June 29, it progressed swiftly across Rajasthan, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh.
In Himachal Pradesh, where the monsoon arrived on June 20, three more rain-related deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, taking the state’s death toll to 20. The latest fatalities included one drowning each in Una and Bilaspur and a fatal fall in Shimla district, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).
A revised warning issued by the IMD Sunday evening predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in Kangra, Mandi, Solan, and Sirmaur districts, and isolated heavy showers in Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Shimla, Kullu, and Chamba till Monday evening. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed deputy commissioners of Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur and Solan to keep schools closed on June 30 in view of the forecast.
Landslides also disrupted operations on the UNESCO heritage Shimla-Kalka rail line after debris and fallen trees blocked the tracks in Solan. Meanwhile, all five spillway gates of the Pandoh Dam were opened, raising water levels in the Beas River. Residents living along the banks have been urged to stay away.
In eastern India, the IMD issued a red alert for parts of Jharkhand until July 1. In East Singhbhum district, 162 students were rescued early Sunday from a flooded residential school in Kowali after they spent the night stranded on the rooftop. Police and fire services carried out the rescue operation after heavy rainfall submerged the premises.
Meanwhile, in the Northeast, rail connectivity to Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and southern Assam was partially restored after six days of disruption caused by landslides in the Lumding-Badarpur hill section. Limited services resumed Sunday, with full restoration expected by Monday.
The early onset of monsoon has brought both relief and disruption. While it is vital for India’s farm sector—sustaining over 42% of the population and contributing more than 18% to GDP—it also replenishes reservoirs crucial for drinking water and power generation. However, the intensity of this year’s rains has once again exposed the fragility of infrastructure and disaster readiness in several states.
