As heavy torrential rains batter Uttarakhand, a bridge over the Song River in Dehradun has been closed for traffic amid an alarming rise in the water level on Monday. Earlier, the Dehradun Defence College building in Maldevta district collapsed due to incessant rainfall and floods, and the rising water level of the Nandakini River crossed the danger mark in the Nandagar area of the Chamoli district on Sunday night.
A red alert has been sounded in six districts including Dehradun and Nainital for Monday following heavy rains that have claimed 60 lives while nearly 20 people have been reported missing. Several people are feared to be buried in landslides triggered by heavy rains in the state.
Officials on Monday told PTI that the Chardham Yatra pilgrimage has also been suspended for two days due to heavy rains.
Heavy rainfall led to waterlogging in several parts of Rishikesh and Dehradun. The rising water of Nandakini entered houses forcing people to evacuate them and take shelter somewhere else. Alaknanda, Mandakini and Ganga rivers were flowing above the danger level at Rudraprayag, Shrinagar and Devprayag, the disaster control room said.
Intense to very heavy spells of rain with thunder and lightning at isolated places have been forecast for the two days in Tehri, Dehradun, Pauri, Champawat, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts where the red alert has been sounded, while Haridwar district is under orange alert, officials said.
Authorities in Dehradun and Champawat have ordered the closure of schools in the two districts on Monday.
Landslides triggered by heavy rains have blocked the traffic on several national highways including the Rishikesh-Chamba National Highway, which was blocked due to a landslide near Kunjapuri Bagardhar in Tehri whereas the movement of heavy vehicles has been stopped on Rishikesh-Devprayag-Srinagar National Highways at Sakhnidhar.
According to State Emergency Operation Center, 60 people have died, 17 have been reported missing, and 37 people have been injured due to heavy rains. In addition, 1,169 houses have been damaged and a large amount of agricultural land was washed away. Roads and bridges have also suffered a lot of damage due to the rains in the state.
Meanwhile, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF)has directed distinct magistrates to remain on high alert in view of any emergency arising out of the monsoon situation.
