Monsoon

According to the IMD, the sky will generally remain cloudy in Gurugram. The city may receive one or two spells of rain over the next 2-3 hours. Morning rush hour traffic was affected and the police struggled to keep the vehicles moving. The policemen were seen standing in knee-deep water while struggling to keep traffic going. Also, 3-4 feet of water accumulated at several city roads, including the city's bus stand in old Gurugram.

As Mumbai snoozed peacefully, the skies suddenly opened up with thunder, lightning and heavy cloudburst-like rains measuring between 197 mm to over 235 mm in some areas, as per the IMD Mumbai. The incessant downpour lasting 4-5 hours resulted in heavy waterlogging in many lowlying areas of Mumbai and MMR, besides crippling road, rail and air traffic for hours.

Informing the leaders that extensive arrangements have been made for safety of the members, officials and the media, as per the Covid-19 protocols for the session, Birla further assured that they will be given adequate opportunities for discussion on issues of public interest and appealed to them to cooperate with the Chair in smooth conduct of the House.

"Rainfall activity is very likely to increase with widespread rainfall to isolated heavy to very heavy rains very likely over the western Himalayan region (Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan and Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) and adjoining northwest India -- Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP and north Madhya Pradesh -- from July 18 to 21," the IMD said in a statement.

As Mumbai slept the skies opened up with thunder, lightning and heavy rains measuring between 197 mm to over 235 mm in some areas in barely 3-4 hours, as per the IMD Mumbai, which submerged many areas and hit road and rail traffic badly. According to the BMC Disaster Cell and NDRF, at least 17 persons were killed when a wall collapsed after a tree fell at Vashi Naka,

Heavy overnight rains lashed Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) hitting road and rail traffic, though flight operation at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport was normal.Water-logging was reported from chronic spots of Dadar, Parel, Wadala, Sion, besides low-lying areas in Malad, Santacruz, Dahisar.

The meeting is likely to begin from 11 a.m. at Parliament premises, said sources. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi will also interact with the floor leaders during the meeting and take their views before the session starts its 19-day business from July 19, said sources. The meeting has been called a day before the Monsoon Session, which will run between July 19 and August 13, the first Session after the second wave of ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The authorities have been claiming that they were prepared ahead of the monsoon to ensure minimum waterlogging, however, a few hours of light rain proved all their claims hollow. Waterlogging was seen at several places including AIIMS flyover, Prahladpur underpass on Mehrauli-Badarpur road in south Delhi, Som Vihar, Ring Road, Vikas Marg, Sangam Vihar and Kirari, among others.

The normal date for monsoon covering the entire country was July 8 but it was delayed by five days due to weather conditions. The continued prevalence of moist easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal in the lower levels for the last four days resulted in enhanced cloud cover and scattered to fairly widespread rainfall, the IMD said. "The monsoon advance over Delhi thus occurred on Tuesday against the normal date of June 27."

The bills include changes in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) � replacing the Ordinance enabling prepackaged resolution schemes for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and allowing corporate debtors to propose a resolution plan for the stressed company. Besides, the Centre will also introduce the Deposit Insurance Bill, increase insurance cover to Rs 5 lakh.