A series of severe rain-related incidents across northern India has led to significant disruptions, with fatalities reported in Haryana, Nagaland, and Maharashtra. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings of continued heavy rainfall in several states.

Tragic Incident in Haryana

In Panchkula, Haryana, three children tragically lost their lives when a wall at a brick kiln collapsed during heavy rains. The victims—a seven-year-old girl, a five-year-old boy, and a two-and-a-half-year-old boy—were taking shelter near the kiln when the wall fell. Their parents work at the kiln, and the children were playing nearby when the incident occurred. Emergency services rushed to the scene but were unable to save the children.

Disruptions Across Northern States

The IMD has warned of “heavy to very heavy rainfall” at isolated locations in coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with “heavy rainfall” expected in parts of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, east Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and other regions on Thursday.

Delhi and the National Capital Region faced severe waterlogging, leading to traffic jams across multiple districts including South, Central, North, and New Delhi, as well as in Noida and Gurugram. The waterlogging on the Delhi-Jaipur highway further disrupted travel. The IMD has issued a “yellow” alert for Delhi, forecasting deteriorating weather conditions.

In Nagaland’s Chumoukedima district, one person was killed, and several are reported missing after heavy rains caused significant damage to homes and National Highway-29. A stretch of NH-29, crucial for connecting Kohima and Dimapur, has been completely washed away.

Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh

In Maharashtra’s Marathwada region, torrential rains over the past three days have resulted in ten deaths and extensive crop damage. Nearly 11.67 lakh hectares of farmland in seven districts have been affected. The downpour has also led to the death of 523 animals and damage to 1,126 houses.

Himachal Pradesh has seen continuous rainfall, resulting in the closure of 119 roads, including two national highways. The Shimla weather office has warned of a low to moderate flash flood risk in six districts and issued a ‘yellow’ alert for heavy rains, thunderstorms, and lightning. Kasauli, Dharamshala, and other areas have recorded substantial rainfall, leading to significant disruptions.

Rajasthan and Telangana

In Rajasthan, heavy rains have impacted Jodhpur, Sirohi, and Udaipur districts. Jodhpur city reported 90.6 mm of rainfall, while Sirohi recorded 70 mm. The Jaipur meteorological centre anticipates continued active monsoon conditions in eastern Rajasthan for the next several days.

In Telangana, relief measures have been intensified in Khammam and other flood-affected areas. The government has issued its first flood warning for Bhadrachalam, a significant temple town. Over the past three days, heavy rains have claimed 16 lives in Telangana.

IMD Forecast

The IMD’s latest bulletin indicates widespread rainfall across several states including Gujarat, Konkan, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Rainfall was also observed in Uttarakhand, Bihar, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha, Madhya Maharashtra, and coastal Karnataka, with isolated rainfall reported in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan, Haryana-Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gangetic West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Marathwada, interior Karnataka, Kerala, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Authorities across the affected regions are working to manage the crisis, with ongoing assessments and relief efforts to support those impacted by the relentless rains.

Mumbai, September 4, 2024 — The Bombay High Court has declined to intervene in the ongoing controversy surrounding Kangana Ranaut’s film Emergency, following a directive from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The Madhya Pradesh HC had instructed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to address objections raised against the film before issuing a certification.

The release of Emergency, initially scheduled for September 6, 2024, has been postponed by two weeks. The Bombay High Court directed the CBFC to review the objections and finalize the certification by September 18, 2024.

Zee Entertainment Enterprises, the producer of the film, had petitioned the Bombay High Court seeking an order to compel the CBFC to issue the film’s certification. The petition argued that while the CBFC had prepared the certificate, it had not been issued, possibly due to concerns about potential law and order issues following the film’s release.

A division bench of Justices B P Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla acknowledged that the CBFC had prepared the certificate but had not issued it. The bench criticized the CBFC’s claim that the certificate was not issued due to lack of the chairperson’s signature as inaccurate.

Despite this, the court refrained from issuing an immediate order, citing the Madhya Pradesh HC’s directive. “We understand there are other considerations at play. We refrain from commenting further. The CBFC must address the objections and make a decision by September 18,” the bench stated.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court’s order followed petitions from Sikh groups alleging that the film contains scenes that could offend their religious sentiments and cause unrest. The CBFC had initially asserted that the film had not yet been certified.

The Bombay High Court explained that granting relief to the producers would contravene the Madhya Pradesh HC’s order, which mandates that the CBFC consider the objections before issuing a certification. “To provide relief today would mean asking the CBFC to disregard another HC’s order, which is against judicial propriety,” the bench noted.

The film Emergency has stirred controversy due to objections from Sikh organizations, including the Shiromani Akali Dal, which accused the film of misrepresenting historical facts and the Sikh community.

New Delhi, September 4, 2024 — The Delhi High Court has directed the Tihar Jail authorities to respond to a plea by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh, who claims he has been denied a physical meeting with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal while Kejriwal is under judicial custody.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna granted the jail authorities three days to file their response to Singh’s petition and scheduled the matter for further hearing on September 9.

Singh, a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, contends that his request to meet Kejriwal was denied on the grounds that he is an “ex-prisoner.” During the hearing, senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing Singh, argued that the denial is unjustified, particularly given Kejriwal’s serious health concerns. Singh’s family reportedly wishes to meet him to assess his condition.

Mehra criticized the handling of the situation by the jail superintendent, describing it as indicative of a “shocking state of affairs.” He argued that as an undertrial and a sitting MP, Singh had provided an undertaking to comply with prison regulations and should be permitted a meeting with Kejriwal.

The denial of the meeting was justified by citing Rule 588 of the Delhi Prison Rules, which restricts visits by ex-prisoners and habitual offenders unless a genuine reason is demonstrated. Mehra contends that this rule is being misapplied, intended to prevent negative influences but not to unfairly restrict access.

The counsel for the jail authorities requested a week’s time to respond to the petition. However, the court granted a shorter period of three days to submit their position.

Singh is currently facing prosecution in the excise policy scam case, investigated by the Enforcement Directorate. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court on April 2, 2024.

In a related matter, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Kumar Pathak had previously approached the high court seeking permission to meet Kejriwal. Pathak was allowed to meet Kejriwal twice in April, but subsequent requests were denied. The jail authorities cited Pathak’s statements after the meetings as violating prison rules and being politically motivated. The court has already reserved its order on Pathak’s plea.