Weather improved 2000 Tourists evacuated from HP and Kasol

New Delhi: As the weather improved in parts of north India, which was pummelled by heavy rains for days, authorities on Wednesday worked on a war footing to rescue stranded tourists, restore vehicular traffic on arterial roads and prevent flood waters from entering new areas.

In Punjab and Haryana, at least 15 people have died in rain-related incidents, according to government data. As many as 2,000 tourists stranded in Himachal Pradesh's Kasol were evacuated and more than 300 tourist vehicles stuck in Lahaul following landslides and flash floods left for their respective destinations, the state government said.

Meanwhile, in Delhi, Police has imposed Section 144 preventing unlawful assembly of four or more people and public movement in groups, in flood-prone areas. Water Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj told reporters that the Delhi government is prepared to deal with the situation. "We are monitoring the situation and all possible steps are being taken," he said.

Embankments are being constructed in low-lying areas to prevent the entry of floodwaters into other parts of the capital in case the Yamuna water level rises further. An Irrigation and Flood Control Department official explained the sharp rise in the water level was due to continuous rainfall in the upper catchment areas and saturated soil from heavy precipitation in Delhi and nearby regions over the weekend.