Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit several flood-ravaged states in northern India soon to assess the ground situation and review relief efforts.

The visit comes amid calls from some state governments for central assistance to tackle the ongoing flood crisis in North India. Over the past few weeks, relentless rainfall has triggered flash floods and landslides across Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand, causing widespread destruction. More than 500 people have been killed in these states since the onset of the monsoon in June this year.

Several northern states are reeling from one of the worst weather disasters in decades. In the past two days alone, fresh landslides, flash floods and collapsing infrastructure have claimed many lives. In several states, key highways remain blocked, rivers are flowing above danger marks and large areas of farmland have been submerged under floodwaters.