Heavy monsoon rains lashed Uttarakhand on Thursday, triggering landslides, falling rocks and rising river levels that temporarily disrupted pilgrimages in Badrinath and Kedarnath, damaged homes in Chamoli district and put authorities across the state on high alert amid forecasts of heavier rains.
Heavy rains have blocked major stretches of Char Dham Yatra routes in Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts, while rising river and stream levels have prompted increased monitoring, precautionary evacuations in vulnerable areas and emergency response measures as the IMD warns of continued heavy rains, landslides and flash floods in the coming days.
The Badrinath National Highway was temporarily closed after mud and debris entered several houses at Golabkoti near Jyotarmath in Chamoli district and spilled onto the highway, disrupting the Char Dham Yatra. Meanwhile, the Kedarnath Yatra was suspended for several hours after rocks and debris blocked the Sonprayag-Munkatiya stretch.
Four heavy earthmoving machines and three dumper trucks were deployed to remove the accumulated debris, after which the Badrinath Expressway was reopened for traffic around 4 pm, district disaster management officer N K Joshi said.
In Rudraprayag district, Kedarnath Road between Sonprayag and Munkatiya was closed after a landslide sent huge boulders crashing into the road, forcing authorities to suspend vehicular and pedestrian movement as a precautionary measure.
“Teams from multiple departments, with the help of JCB machines and other heavy equipment, are working in full swing to clear the debris and reopen the road as soon as possible,” said Nandan Singh Rajwar, District Disaster Management Officer, Rudraprayag.
Rajwar said that the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers in Rudraprayag were flowing below the danger level and that the authorities were constantly monitoring them.
With rivers swollen rapidly due to incessant rains, the Rudraprayag district administration has put the district on high alert.
Rudraprayag District Magistrate Vishal Mishra said a multi-departmental monitoring mechanism has been activated round the clock to assess weather conditions, river levels and identify vulnerable sites. “Water levels in all major rivers and monsoon streams are being monitored continuously. High-risk areas are being mapped in real time to issue timely warnings and safety advisories,” Mishra said.
Authorities have begun evacuating people from vulnerable riverbank areas wherever required and have shifted the district disaster operation center to 24/7 operation mode as a precautionary measure.
The National Highways, Irrigation Department and Public Works Department have been directed to maintain continuous monitoring of roads, bridges and river channels.
The district administration also issued an advisory asking residents and Char Dham pilgrims to avoid river banks, streams and temporary structures near water bodies, and urged people not to pay attention to rumors circulating on social media.
Meanwhile, two separate road accidents within hours of each other left one Border Roads Organization (BRO) staff member missing and three others injured in Uttarkashi district. A motorcycle carrying three BRO employees fell into a 200-300 meter deep gorge off the Gangotri National Highway near Bhairungati while heading towards Gangotri late on Wednesday night.
Uttarkashi District Disaster Management Officer Shardul Gosain said two passengers sustained minor injuries and were taken to hospital, while 26-year-old Suresh Lama, a Nepalese resident currently residing in Himachal Pradesh, remained missing.
“The State Disaster Response Force suspended the search operation due to darkness and heavy rain but resumed it on Thursday morning. The missing person was not found until 4 pm on Thursday,” Goosen said.
In another accident near Margaon-Ulan highway in Uttarkashi on Thursday morning, 28-year-old Praveen Nautiyal was injured after his car met with an accident while traveling from Brahmacal to Telpad. He was treated at CHC Chinyalisaur and released from the hospital, while his colleague Jasram Mishra escaped unhurt.
In Tehri district, the overflow of the Nileshami Gad river prompted authorities to issue alerts to people living near the river banks. Officials also said that five Public Works Department (PWD) roads and 10 Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) roads in the district were closed due to debris and rocks, with restoration work continuing.
Uttarakhand received 29.3 mm of rainfall against the normal of 11.4 mm during the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Thursday, an increase of 157%, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Tehri recorded the highest departure from normal with rainfall of 54.6 mm, nearly 600% above normal, followed by Udham Singh Nagar (463%), Chamoli (436%), Dehradun (327%), Haridwar (301%), Uttarkashi (272%), Rudraprayag (185%), Champawat (177%) and Buri Garhwal (106%).
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Friday for Nainital and Bageshwar districts, predicting heavy to very heavy rains, while a yellow alert has been issued for Dehradun, Tehri, Puri, Chamoli, Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag districts.
The International Meteorological Department warned that thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and heavy rain spells could lead to landslides, floods and disrupt traffic across the hilly areas of the state. Similar conditions are expected to continue until July 6, with heavy rains expected in several areas, prompting authorities to maintain heightened vigil across the Char Dham district.
