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<keyword id="22598687" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Monsoonal-rains" source="keywords">Monsoonal rains</keyword> have been beating down on <keyword id="19918812" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttarakhand" source="keywords">Uttarakhand</keyword> for a while now, but the northwestern state is gearing up for another spell of <keyword id="20301827" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heavy-rainfall" source="keywords">heavy rainfall</keyword>, particularly on Wednesday. Torrential rains started lashing parts of the state in the evening hours on Sunday and continued for five hours till 1 AM on Monday. During this period, 136 mm of rainfall was recorded in Jolly Grant, 101 mm in Shama (Bageshwar), 93.2 mm in <keyword id="19897132" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dehradun" source="keywords">Dehradun</keyword>, 42.2 mm in Karnprayag, and 41.1 mm in Narendra Nagar. On Monday morning, a giant banyan tree fell on Darshan Lal Chowk, causing cracks in the walls of an adjacent temple. In another incident, a tree fell on Pathri Bagh Chowk, causing an electricity pole to collapse and disrupting traffic for some time. Now, according to the Meteorological Center, the inclement weather is likely to continue affecting Uttarakhand for the next few days. Up to widespread moderate showers accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning are likely in the state during the next five days. Isolated heavy to very heavy rains (64.5 mm-204.5 mm) are expected between Tuesday to Friday (July 30-August 2). Dehradun, Pithoragarh, Pauri, Bageshwar, Haridwar, Almora, Champawat, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts are likely to experience one or two spells of heavy rain on Tuesday. The intensity of rainfall is expected to increase on Wednesday. Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Pauri, Dehradun, Tehri, Champawat, and Nainital districts are likely to receive very heavy rainfall. In view of this, an <keyword id="20169543" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="orange-alert" source="keywords">orange alert</keyword> has been issued. <keyword id="20301828" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="flood-warnings" source="keywords">Flood warnings</keyword> have also been issued in Dehradun, Pauri Garhwal, Almora, Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts today due to the possibility of flooding and inundation — particularly in low-lying areas. Those residing near rivers are advised to maintain a safe distance from the water bodies and take other necessary precautions. As for mercury levels, daytime temperatures have risen above normal in many parts of the state despite the wet conditions. Dehradun recorded a maximum temperature of 35.2°C, which is five degrees above normal, and a minimum temperature of 24°C, one degree above normal. Pantnagar recorded a maximum temperature of 35.6°C, three degrees above normal, and a minimum temperature of 17.3°C. Mukteshwar recorded a maximum temperature of 22.8°C and a minimum temperature of 17.0°C. Tehri recorded a maximum temperature of 26.4°C and a minimum temperature of 18.7°C. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="110176038" title="10 best beginner-friendly treks in Uttarakhand" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Monsoons to unleash heavy rains over Uttarakhand; flood alerts issued in Dehradun, Almora, Chamoli, Bageshwar

<ul><li>Many rivers, including the <keyword id="6354936" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="yamuna" source="Orion">Yamuna</keyword> in Delhi, are overflowing and a warning has been issued in Delhi.</li><li>The Himalayan states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are dealing with multiple rescue operations.</li><li>As many as 12 people have been killed in rain-related incidents in the past 24 hours in Uttar Pradesh.</li></ul> As the north Indian states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab etc. continue to battle the severe catastrophe caused by heavy rainfall induced floods, southern India seems to be getting its share of some heavy showers now. Heavy rains battered Chennai and surrounding areas throwing life out of gear in many <keyword id="20154" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="tamil-nadu" source="Orion">Tamil Nadu</keyword> districts on Thursday morning. In several part of Chennai and adjoining areas, the incessant downpour led to traffic congestion with long spiraling queues of vehicles on the roads. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has forecast moderate rains and thunderstorms in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, and Thiruvannamalai districts during the day. Notably, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains in some parts of Tamil Nadu along with thunderstorms. Several districts in Coastal Andhra Pradesh are also set to receive heavy downpour. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Rain update from Himachal, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Punjab" text="Rain update from the northern states">Rain update from the northern states</cmsannotation> Uttar Pradesh sees more deaths: As many as twelve people were killed in rain-related incidents in the past 24 hours, the Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner said in a statement issued at 8 pm on Wednesday, as heavy rain continued to batter the state. "In the past 24 hours, while nine (people) died due to drowning, one each due to lightning (strike), snakebite and heavy rainfall," the statement said. Rescue work continues in Himachal Pradesh: Himachal Pradesh minister Jagat Singh Negi and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sanjay Avasthi on Thursday reached Chandertal in Lahaul and Spiti district to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/rescue-operation-on-to-bring-back-250-tourists-stuck-in-snow-marooned-chandertal-lake-for-5-days/articleshow/101718934.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">evacuate 290 people</a>, mostly tourists. About 300 people, mostly tourists, have been stranded in Chandertal since Saturday. The state has reported as many as 88 people have died in rain-related incidents and road accidents since the onset of monsoon in the state on June 24. Delhi water treatment plants shut: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that due to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/help-each-other-dont-travel-says-delhi-cm-kejriwal-as-yamuna-rises/articleshow/101718843.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">increasing water level of the Yamuna</a> river, his government has decided to shut down three water treatment plants at Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla which will lead to water scarcity in few areas. The Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory on the restrictions and regulation of vehicular movement in place owing to the rising water level of the Yamuna river. Uttarakhand roads blocked due to land slide: Following a torrential downpour in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, a boulder fell from a hill near Chhinka, causing a roadblock on Thursday morning. The Badrinath National Highway (NH-7) is also blocked due to falling boulders and debris from the hill, on a highway near Pipalkotim, on account of heavy and unrelenting rainfall. The same highway was blocked at several other points including Pagalnala, Gulabkoti and Helang, following the landslides in the region in the face of heavy rainfall. Over 1,000 villages affected in Punjab: As many as 1,058 villages of 14 districts in Punjab are affected by floods, according to an official statement. The affected villages include 364 in Rupnagar, 268 in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, 250 in Patiala, 71 in Jalandhar, 30 in Moga, 25 in Hoshiarpur, 16 in Ludhiana, three each in Sangrur and Ferozepur, and six in Tarn Taran, it said. (With text inputs from ANI, IANS and PTI)

As North India battles severe monsoon, heavy rain lashes parts of Tamil Nadu too

<keyword id="988973" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="extreme-weather">Extreme Weather</keyword> wreaks havoc and <keyword id="1209735" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Disaster-preparedness">disaster preparedness</keyword> of the extreme kind can only lessen the losses but cannot entirely leash them. A new research report compiled by the UK-based <keyword id="459969" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Overseas-Development-Institute">Overseas Development Institute</keyword> suggests that by 2030, up to a third of a billion people could be living in the 49 countries most exposed to the full range of <keyword id="1187439" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="natural-hazards">natural hazards</keyword> and <keyword id="1713913" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Climate-Extremes">climate extremes</keyword>. So adequate measures must be taken now to control the impact of Extreme Weather occurrences (<keyword id="43950" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="storm">storm</keyword>, <keyword id="46472" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="drought">drought</keyword>, <keyword id="6369083" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Flood">flood</keyword>, <keyword id="6362774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="earthquake">earthquake</keyword>, etc.) or it is bound to hurt the economies and will push people back into poverty. Although an emerging market nation, <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> has long struggled to cope with <keyword id="55531" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Disaster-management">disaster management</keyword>. As the country encounters the second <keyword id="6386783" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cyclone">cyclone</keyword> attack in six weeks, here is a quick look at the natural hazards that struck India throughout the year, leading to massive destruction and huge losses. 
Main image: Wikipedia 
 
<keyword id="1945034" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cyclone-Helen">Cyclone Helen</keyword> The severe cyclonic storm hit the coastal parts of <keyword id="37102" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Andhra-Pradesh">Andhra Pradesh</keyword> only a couple of days ago, killing at least 6 people. Around 21,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas as <keyword id="45172" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="heavy-rain">heavy rain</keyword> lashed the <keyword id="482064" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="coastal-districts">coastal districts</keyword> and strong gales reached the speed of 100-120 kmph. Storm and <keyword id="13195" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rain">rain</keyword> caused massive damage to <keyword id="18620" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="crops">crops</keyword> and coconut plantations spread over 1.69 lakh hectares. 
Image: ddinews.gov.in 
 
 
 
Super-Cyclone Phailin One of the most powerful tropical <keyword id="42569" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="cyclones">cyclones</keyword>, Phailin hit India’s east coast in October and was expected to cause massive death and destruction. Strong winds went up to a speed of 220 kmph as it struck the shores of <keyword id="6357961" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Odisha">Odisha</keyword> and Andhra Pradesh. However, early warnings and the mass evacuation of nearly 900,000 people limited the <keyword id="6397442" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="death-toll">death toll</keyword> to 30-50. A quarter million houses were razed though, and over 860,000 hectares of cropland was destroyed. The overall damage amounted to about $150 million. 
Image: Indiatimes 
 
 
 
The <keyword id="1713585" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Himalayan-tsunami">Himalayan tsunami</keyword> <keyword id="173656" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kedarnath">Kedarnath</keyword> town in the state of <keyword id="44522" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Uttarakhand">Uttarakhand</keyword> was literally washed out when massive flash floods and landslides hit the valley in June this year. About 33 cm of rain fell during a cloudburst and a lake above the 8th century <keyword id="1674376" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kedarnath-temple">Kedarnath Temple</keyword> burst, sending a deluge of water down the valley. Over 110,000 stranded pilgrims were rescued and the actual death toll could be close to 10,000 while 20,000 hectares of <keyword id="6491949" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="agricultural-land">agricultural land</keyword> was severely damaged in the deluge. According to a <keyword id="29740" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Bloomberg">Bloomberg</keyword> report based on a document from AON Benfield, economic losses due to the floods in India (mostly Uttarakhand) could be $1.1 billion and insured costs around half a million. 
Image: Indiatimes 
 
 
 
<keyword id="1672039" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cyclone-Mahasen">Cyclone Mahasen</keyword> The first among the three cyclones to have crossed the <keyword id="960263" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-coast">Indian coast</keyword> this year. The south-westerly monsoon started with this <keyword id="385066" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="tropical-storm">tropical storm</keyword> in May and affected six countries in South and <keyword id="366595" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="South-East-Asia">South-east Asia</keyword>. Cyclone Mahasen moved up from the southern <keyword id="55869" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Bay-of-Bengal">Bay of Bengal</keyword> and finally hit Bangladesh, but its effects could be felt in southern, eastern and north-eastern parts of India. Heavy rain lashed Meghalaya as it crossed into neighbouring Bangladesh while severe storms in Andhra Pradesh caused eight deaths and also flooded 739 hectares of farmland. In the coastal districts of Odisha, there were scattered but powerful storms, producing winds up to 72 kmph. Malkangiri saw the heaviest rainfall at 48 mm. 
Image: earthobservatory.nasa.gov

How Extreme Weather Is Battering India This Year

The makers of the drone '<keyword id="116774" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rancho">Rancho</keyword>' seen in the movie <keyword id="6373971" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="3-idiots">3 idiots</keyword> have created several <keyword id="6370270" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="unmanned-aerial-vehicles">unmanned aerial vehicles</keyword> that are being used by Indian defence forces and in intelligence and surveillance ops. 
 
A team of four IIT alumni - Ankit Mehta, Rahul Singh, Ashish Bhat, and Vipul Joshi - started a company called ideaForge in 2007 to give their dream wings. They were working on developing technologies back in college and had many ideas they wanted to convert into products by the time they graduated. 
 
In 2008, recognition from government came to them when they won a Micro Aerial Vehicle competition at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. Thereafter, they landed with several government projects, one of which wa NETRA – a vertical takeoff and landing UAV built on quadrotor configuration that the team developed in collaboration with Defence Research and Development Organisation. 
 
 This UAV could take off from a small area and could fly over an area up to the height of 400m sending continuous real time videos of movements on the ground. It was this early prototype of NETRA that you had seen during the shoot of 3 Idiots. The movie director of 3 idiots had read about the drone and work by <keyword id="137562" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="IITians">IITians</keyword> in the newapaper. 
 
In 2009, ideaForge developed the world’s smallest and lightest autopilot drone and also came up with India’s first fully autonomous vertical takeoff and landing UAV. In this, a user feeds the GPS location of the required destination, which is then converted into command and instructions and the UAV reaches the location autonomously. 
 The UAV's made by this team are typically easy-to-use, so they can be used easily during emergencies. So far, they have been used by the <keyword id="6354416" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Army">Indian Army</keyword> to look for survivors after the deadly Uttarakhand floods back in 2013, to map the positions of militants during defence ops, for disaster management during the Nepal earthquake, and to manage crowds during the Kumbh mela. One of ideaForge’s <keyword id="94769" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="drones">drones</keyword> also helped in tracking a man-eating tigress in Uttarakhand.

Here's the stellar work done by four IITians who built 'Drone Rancho' for the famous movie '3 idiots'

Calamities and misfortunes are often considered as warning bells for many. The devastating <keyword id="6362774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="earthquake">earthquake</keyword> that hit Nepal and some parts of India and Bangladesh a few days back are no exception to this. 
 As per a news report by The Economic Times, enquiries about home <keyword id="35450" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="insurance">insurance</keyword> policies in India have suddenly surged up. 
 "There is a spike in demand and this will stay for a short time," Tapan Singhel, managing director and CEO of <keyword id="113665" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bajaj-Allianz-General-Insurance">Bajaj Allianz General Insurance</keyword> told the ET. "We have seen a similar spurt in the past " during the Jammu &amp; Kashmir floods, the Uttarakhand floods and the <keyword id="48118" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sikkim">Sikkim</keyword> earthquake." As with all forms of insurance in India, home cover is also sparse. The number of insured homes is estimated at 20 lakh with annual premiums adding up to Rs 2,500 crore. 
 
2011 census report confirmed, India had 33 crore homes, of which only half are of 'pukka' construction, or permanent in nature. 
 There is huge potential in the segment, with average premiums going up to as much as Rs 3 lakh, according to industry estimates. "Suddenly there is a spike in enquires, but conversion into a sale is hampered due to lack of widespread distribution," Sanjay Datta, head of underwriting at <keyword id="144335" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICICI-Lombard-General">ICICI Lombard General</keyword> Insurance told the financial daily. 
 
Due to lack of awareness, companies are unable to capture demand. Experts believe, this may change following the devastation in Nepal. 
Industry executives said that those residing in seismic zones need to buy home insurance to protect themselves. 
 Policies pay for damage to property and contents due to natural or man-made calamities, including earthquakes. Rates vary from 70 paise to Rs 1 per cover of Rs 1,000, depending on the area and the frequency. Many banks and <keyword id="100080" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="housing-finance">housing finance</keyword> companies insulate themselves from such possible risks by making home insurance mandatory for mortgage customers. 
 
(Image: reuters)

Nepal earthquake rings the alarm! Don’t just ensure your life but your home too

When God decided to create days and nights, and blessed the earth with sunlight, he must have assumed that humans could easily figure out how to use that light to meet all their energy needs. Although the Homo sapiens claim to be the most intelligent ‘species’ on Planet Earth, it seems their intelligence has evolved more slowly than most. Look around and be humbled as plants and shrubs have already sorted it. They thrive on <keyword id="6357019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="solar-energy">solar energy</keyword> and less water, harness both and grow without a murmur! As for humans, they have simply taken thousands of years to realise that solar energy could be their ultimate answer to energy needs. 
 
But jokes apart, India is among those countries which have caught the fancy of the world. With its futuristic use of technology (like wind turbines that power Tirupati Complex and low cost mission to Mars), this tropical country, blessed with ample sunlight, is capable to fend for itself and its ever-growing population. 
 
Due to its rapid economic expansion and futuristic policies, a traditional country like India has to meet its energy requirements by leveraging fossil fuels such as coal. Nearly 70% of the energy consumed is generated from coal, followed by crude oil (24%) and natural gas (accounting for a mere 6%). It is, therefore, not difficult to comprehend that India is largely dependent on fossil fuel imports – so much as that by 2030, more than half the country’s energy needs will have to be met with large energy imports. Our own limited fossil reserves have long threatened the country’s stability as far as energy needs are concerned. 
 With a vast population of 1.1 billion and the urban areas housing the majority of industries and labour forces, India is moving dangerously close to the greenhouse effects with every passing year. While carbon emissions are getting high, the agricultural land is also getting increasingly barren and arid due to the indiscriminate use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers. The effects of <keyword id="6366055" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="global-warming">global warming</keyword> in this highly populated country are for everyone to see. From Tsunami in the past to the Uttarakhand floods in the recent years, from progressively botched up summers to extreme winters, the calamities are too many and India is bound to emerge as one of the foremost nations being affected by global warming. 
 
India’s energy experts have been warning against the high use of exhaustible energy resources bought from other countries, which is causing a serious dent in the country’s exchequer. 
 
Almost 400 million Indians (nearly a third of the country’s population) have no access to electricity. And this power deficit compels more than 100,000 villages to live in the dark ages, quite literally. Lack of energy sources has also left India in a rather vulnerable condition as far as growing basic infrastructure is concerned. Its per capita energy consumption stands at just 639 KWh (Kilo Watt per hour), which is among the lowest. 
 This apart, what compounds India’s energy problem is the fact that three quarters of the electricity is produced by burning coal and natural gas. India may well boast a steadily growing <keyword id="35050" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="gdp">GDP</keyword>, but what has also been dangerously steady, and progressively high, is its carbon emissions. During the last decade, India turned out to be one of the biggest carbon-emitting countries, touching 1.6 million kilotonnes in 2007 alone. 
 Plagued by crippling energy crises that cannot be dealt with if the same pattern of energy generation, import and consumption continues in the near future, India has started experimenting with <keyword id="188239" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="alternative-energy">alternative energy</keyword> sources. Being blessed with a tropical climate and intense summers, the country is naturally predisposed to receiving abundant <keyword id="70990" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Solar-power">solar power</keyword> for the major part of the year. 
 
The country has already entered a solar partnership programme with the US, under the US-India Energy Partnership Programme called SERIIUS. This initiative will also enable India to take the fullest advantage of its deserts and arid lands, and reap energy benefits without harming Mother Nature. India can even supply this energy to other countries, thus encouraging bilateral trades and adding to the country’s robust economic growth. However, India will require at least $13 billion in the next three years to fund this second phase of the solar energy generation unit. 
 
Solar projects are already generating a lot of energy for some states in India. Most of these plants are located in Gujarat, with some spread across Orissa, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, among others. While Gujarat has been the bellwether in the solar projects space in India, Rajasthan will be home to the world’s largest solar plant very soon. That solar photovoltaic power plant will have an estimated life of 25 years and is expected to generate 6.4 billion kilowatt-hours per year, as per official figures. 
 
Gujarat has been clocking about 823.9 MW, with its biggest success being the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. What has boosted the power scenario here is the state’s pro-solar policies and its subsequent access to a consistent flow of clean energy. Encouraged by the positive growth, Gujarat has also launched about 75 solar projects over two years. Moreover, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has always been a believer in entrepreneurship. Therefore, harnessing the solar power is the most sensible thing the Modi government has done for the state, which is high on industrial production. 
 
India currently does not have an over-reaching energy strategy, but what it has in place could be called disparate policies. With the country being blessed with 5,000 TWh (Terra Watt per hour) of solar insolation annually, India stands to gain a lot as far as clean energy production goes. It can also set up independent energy generation units to make its villages and cities self-sustainable. 
 
Image: Thinkstock

You Searched For "Uttarakhand floods" and got 6 results

Monsoons to unleash heavy rains over Uttarakhand; flood alerts issued in Dehradun, Almora, Chamoli, Bageshwar

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As North India battles severe monsoon, heavy rain lashes parts of Tamil Nadu too

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Here's the stellar work done by four IITians who built 'Drone Rancho' for the famous movie '3 idiots'

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Nepal earthquake rings the alarm! Don’t just ensure your life but your home too

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