Uttarakhand rains: Bridge washed away in Chamoli, 216 roads closed

The India Meteorological Department Dehradun centre has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in the districts of Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, and Haridwar on Monday

Mussoorie: Heavy rains lashed across Uttarakhand with a vital bridge at Tamak Nala in Chamoli district, connecting Jyotirmath with Malari near China border, being completely washed away by a strong river current at 2 am on Sunday, leading to loss of road connectivity to the border areas.

A vital bridge at Tamak Nala in Chamoli district, connecting Jyotirmath with Malari near China border, was completely washed away by a strong river current at 2 am on Sunday.

Acting on the instructions of Chamoli district magistrate Sandeep Tiwari, district disaster management teams have rushed to the area where the bridge has been washed away in Malari to initiate relief and restoration efforts in the affected villages, said Anuj Kumar district information officer.

In a separate incident in Chamoli district, due to landslides in Jilasu and Hunz area, three cowsheds were damaged in Girsa village, leading to the death of one cow and one goat and injury to two cattle and one dog. Consequently, the team of veterinary doctors and the revenue staff were rushed to the spot to provide relief to the affected families.

The heavy rain in the past twenty-four hours has rendered 216 roads blocked due to landslides across various districts till Sunday morning, according to the state emergency operation centre Dehradun.

In Uttarkashi district, the Gangotri National Highway was blocked at multiple locations, including Dharasu, Netala, and Charethi Bhatwari due to landslides and falling boulders on Sunday morning, after which the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) teams were rushed to clear the debris and were able to restore normal traffic movement after a struggle of two to three Hours.

Shardul Gusain, district disaster management officer, Uttarkashi, said, “The stretch between Harsil and Dharali is currently open for small vehicles, and work was on at Silai bend, Jharjar Gad, Jungle Chatti on Yamunotri Highway to clear the debris and restore traffic, and it is expected that the road to be open soon.”

The state recorded 21.5 mm of rain with an excess of 134 per cent from the normal of 9.2 mm in the past twenty-four hours till 8.30 am on Sunday. Udham Singh Nagar recorded the highest rainfall at 48.3 mm, an excess of 692% from its normal of 6.1 mm. Champawat and Bageshwar also experienced very heavy downpours, with 48 mm and 36.1 mm of rainfall, respectively, showing a stark contrast to their normal figures of 9.1 mm and 3 mm. Pithoragarh received 29.5 mm of rain and Chamoli received 29.3 mm, both well above their normal levels. Other districts with above-normal rainfall included Uttarkashi (28.9 mm), Rudraprayag (18.8 mm), Dehradun (17.1 mm), and Nainital (6.4 mm).

The highest rainfall was recorded in the Dehradun district, with Jollygrant receiving 61 mm of rain from the period between 8.30 am to 3 pm, followed by Koti at 41.5 mm, and both Uttarakhand Technical University and Sahastradhara_Iti at 38.5 mm. Other areas in Dehradun also saw significant rain, including Kalsi (31.0 mm), Maldevta (28.0 mm), Mohakampur (26.0 mm), Hatibharkala (23.5 mm), Chakrata (15.0 mm), and Vikas Nagar (13.0 mm). Meanwhile, in the Tehri Garhwal district, Narendra Nagar recorded 24.0 mm, and Nainbagh received 23.0 mm. The Champawat district was also affected, with several locations reporting rainfall, including the town of Champawat (20.0 mm and 10.0 mm), Pati (12.5 mm), Devidhura (12.0 mm), and Lohaghat (12.0 mm).

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Dehradun centre has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in the districts of Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, and Haridwar on Monday while orange alert has been sounded for Tuesday with forecast of heavy and very intense to extremely intense spell of rain likely to occur at isolated places in Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Bageshwar districts of Uttarakhand on Tuesday. Authorities have urged residents in these areas to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions due to the high risk of landslides, flash floods, and disruptions to daily life. A yellow alert has been issued with forecast of heavy rains in Bageshwar, Dehradun and Pithoragarh on Wednesday.