At least 69 roads in Uttarakhand have been closed due to incessant monsoon rains in the state, which have caused landslides, blocked roads, swollen rivers and destroyed infrastructure in several areas, officials said on Sunday.
According to the Public Works Department (PWD), of the 202 roads under surveillance across the state till 4.30pm on Sunday, 120 roads were reopened, 13 were partially operational and 69 remained completely closed. Officials said the number was likely to change as restoration work continued into the evening.
Emergency services, district administrations, disaster response force and police teams have been put on high alert as widespread rainfall continues to impact transportation and public infrastructure across the state, authorities said. Relief and restoration work is underway in the affected areas.
In Uttarkashi district, a car lost control near Parithi in Chinnialisur district on Sunday, veered off a sharp curve and fell into a roadside ravine. Police forces and rescue teams rushed to the scene and rescued all five passengers who sustained only minor injuries. They were taken to Chinyalisur Hospital for treatment, district disaster management officials said.
In Dehradun, heavy rain led to the collapse of a huge retaining wall at Nai Basti in Vijay Colony in Hathiparkala-Patharia Bir area on Saturday evening. The collapse caused debris to fall on nearby homes, damaging four to five residential buildings and trapping one resident under the rubble.
Ashish Chauhan, Dehradun district magistrate, supervised the rescue operation along with teams from Kotwali Nagar police and SDF. Rescue personnel safely pulled 62-year-old Vimla Devi from under the rubble. She sustained minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital via Ambulance Service No. 108, where doctors declared her condition stable.
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Rishabh Kumar, Dehradun District Disaster Management Officer, said seven families comprising 20 people were evacuated from the affected area and shifted to safer locations, including designated shelters and nearby homes, as a precautionary measure. He added that the area at risk was closed to prevent further accidents.
The district judge directed all relevant departments to continue monitoring around the clock in the area and ordered an immediate technical assessment of the damaged retaining wall to determine the extent of its structural stability and to take strengthening measures without delay. Police, SDRF and other departmental teams continue to monitor the situation.
Heavy rains overnight also caused the temporary replacement bridge at Nanda Ki Chowki on the Dehradun-Baunta Sahib Road to be partially washed away after the water level rose sharply. The temporary structure was built after the original bridge was destroyed during the 2025 disaster. Officials declared the road unsafe before the newly repaired permanent bridge reopened to traffic on Sunday morning, restoring connectivity.
Elsewhere in Dehradun district, the Mussoorie-Dehradun highway was closed near the Hanuman Temple after rocks and mud debris slid on the road during the night, leaving tourists and commuters stranded for several hours.
“We, along with dozens of two-wheelers and four-wheelers, including tourists, remained stuck in the dark and could reach Mussoorie only after highway clearance teams reopened the road by dawn,” said a commuter, Trilok Singh.
Traffic has returned across the permanent bridge at Nanda Ki Chowki, while the Mussoorie-Dehradun road has reopened after nearly three hours of sanitation operations, Kumar said.
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Several rivers were flowing near warning levels.
The Yamuna river at Dakpatar touched the warning mark of 455.37 meters on Sunday morning, while the Tanz river at Ichhari remained slightly below the danger level. The Ganges river at Triveni Ghat in Rishikesh continued to flow under the danger sign. Officials said that more than 20 gates were opened at Dakbaatar and Echari barrage to regulate the drainage of excess water, and the situation remained under control despite constant monitoring.
In Uttarkashi’s Harsil Valley, the Kheerganga River swollen rapidly on Saturday evening after heavy rains, carrying sludge and large boulders that blocked sewer drains under the Gangotri National Highway, threatening the road network.
The Border Roads Organization (BRO) deployed heavy machinery to remove debris and divert the flow of water, preventing further damage. Residents, who are still recovering from the devastating floods in Darali village last year, expressed concern about the rising water levels in the river.
Meanwhile, a landslide in Sarigad on the Yamunotri National Highway blocked vehicular movement after debris covered the road. Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya inspected the affected stretch and ordered the National Highways authorities to expedite restoration work. Villagers informed Arya that the damaged road hampered the transportation of agricultural produce such as tomatoes, potatoes, beans and apples to markets.
Arya assured residents that administrative measures will be taken after conducting a technical assessment of the damaged part. He also directed the Jal Sansthan to restore the long-stalled water pumping project that had disrupted drinking water supply in the area.
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He said the Sayana Shati Road remained closed and pilgrims were crossing the damaged section through an alternative pedestrian route with the help of SDF personnel, while efforts were underway to reopen the road within six to seven days.
In Champawat district, PC Pant, sub-divisional magistrate, inspected the landslide-hit Daun-Barauli road, which remained closed for three days. The road was reopened with the help of heavy machinery.
Champawat district magistrate Manish Kumar said all roads in the district are currently open and authorities are constantly monitoring conditions to ensure safe movement during the monsoon. He appealed to citizens to avoid unnecessary travel during bad weather conditions.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said intermittent rainfall continued across the state on Sunday. Dividora in Champawat recorded the highest rainfall between 8.30am and 3pm with 7.5mm, followed by Ukhimath in Rudraprayag with 6mm.
In the 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Sunday, Uttarakhand received 14.4 mm of rainfall against the normal of 14.6 mm, a deficit of just 1%. Rain continued to lash several parts of Uttarakhand in the last 24 hours, with Mussoorie recording the highest rainfall of 75 mm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Among other places that received heavy rainfall were Kaladungi and Berinag with 66.5 mm each, followed by Kalsi (66 mm), Hatiparkala (54.5 mm), Gangolihat (47.5 mm), Kashipur (43.5 mm), Ukhimath (42.5 mm), Kirtinagar (38 mm), Janai Ganguly (37.5 mm) and Dehradun (37 mm).
Moderate rainfall was also recorded in Kanda (34.5 mm), Ramnagar (33.5 mm), Rudraprayag (33 mm), Sultanpur Patti (31.5 mm), Bajpur (29 mm), Ghat (25.5 mm), Tharali (25 mm), Nainital and Tanakpur (23 mm each), Kausani (21.5 mm), Nainidanda (21 mm) and Mokhampur. (20.5 mm). Several other locations, including Haldwani (12 mm), Khatima (9 mm), Bhimtal (8.5 mm), Srinagar (6 mm), Bageshwar (6 mm), Kotdwar (4 mm), and Rudrapur (3 mm), also received light to moderate showers.
The IMD has issued a yellow alert for isolated heavy rainfall in Dehradun, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar, Chamoli and Pithoragarh districts. Rain was also expected Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and heavy rain in isolated places in hilly areas during the period from July 13 to 16.
