India monsoon alert: IMD forecasts 109% rainfall in September, warns of floods and landslides 

India is likely to see above-normal rainfall in September, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) projecting showers at 109% of the long-term average of 167.9 mm. The forecast has raised concerns of fresh floods and landslides in several parts of the country. 

According to IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Uttarakhand faces heightened risk of landslides and flash floods, while heavy rains could also disrupt life in Delhi, south Haryana, and north Rajasthan. Warnings have also been issued for the upper Mahanadi catchment in Chhattisgarh. 

While most regions will likely see normal to above-normal rainfall, the northeast, east, southern peninsula, and parts of northwest India may receive below-normal showers, the IMD said in a statement reported by PTI. 

Meanwhile, Punjab is reeling under one of its worst flood disasters in decades. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding the release of ₹60,000 crore in pending funds and seeking a revision of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms to increase compensation for farmers. 

Floods have hit seven districts—Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Pathankot, Ferozepur, Fazilka, and Hoshiarpur—affecting around 1,000 villages and lakhs of people. Nearly three lakh acres of farmland, mostly paddy, remain submerged, causing severe crop and livestock losses. Mann has called for raising compensation to ₹50,000 per acre, far above the current ₹6,800 per acre provided under SDRF norms. 

In the northeast, Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh continue to battle floods, with the Brahmaputra and its tributaries submerging farmland and villages. Relief and rescue operations are underway, though several remote areas remain cut off. 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that Assam and several neighbouring northeastern states will continue to experience rainfall until September 2. Widespread light to moderate showers, accompanied by isolated heavy rainfall, are expected across Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura over the coming days. 

The timing of the floods has worsened the situation, coming just as the country enters its festive season. The closure of highways and flooding across multiple regions has left many trucks stuck, leading to supply-chain disruptions.