CM Dhami aerial surveys Uttarkashi as landslides kills 2, injures 2, disrupts yatra
Two Delh tourists were injured as their car fell 100m near Mussoorie; two locals swept away in Jalendri Gad stream. Over 62 roads closed in Uttarkashi
Pithoragarh: Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday conducted an aerial survey of landslide-affected areas in Uttarkashi district after heavy overnight rains disrupted normal life across parts of Uttarakhand. Two tourists from Delhi were injured when their car plunged 100 metres near Mussoorie, and two locals were swept away in the Jalendri Gad stream. Over 62 roads were closed in Uttarkashi, impacting the Char Dham Yatra on Sunday.
Dhami assessed the ground situation and reviewed the ongoing relief and rescue operations. Reiterating that aid must be provided to affected families and there should be no shortage of essential resources, he said, “The state government stands firmly with every citizen affected by this calamity. All necessary steps are being taken to ensure their safety and well-being during this hour of crisis.”
Two tourists — Deepak Nimesh and Harnan — from Delhi’s Kavi Nagar were on their way to Kempty Falls near Mussoorie when their car veered off the road around 2.30 am on Sunday in Dehradun. “Two tourists travelling from Mussoorie towards Kempty Falls when their vehicle lost control and plunged 100 metres below the road beyond Zero Point. The two injured were rushed to Civil Hospital in an ambulance where they are undergoing treatment,” Mussoorie police station in-charge Santosh Kunwar said.
The two goat herders were swept away in the Jalendri Gad stream near Kyarkoti, approximately 18 kilometres from Harsil, around 9.30 pm on Saturday. “The two missing goat herders are yet to be identified, and the details are expected after the teams reach the incident site, while the damage to the road near Paapragad has been rectified and the pilgrim movement is being closely monitored by the police,” Uttarkashi district disaster management officer Shardul Gusain said.
A road near Paapragad, ahead of Bhatwari on Gangotri Highway, had sunk in, disrupting the movement of pilgrims and vehicles. “A joint team comprising the forest department, police, revenue team, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel (10 members) have been rushed to the incident site to conduct the search operation for the missing people, and the detailed information is awaited, while the team from Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is working tirelessly and has rectified the damage by filling the cracks that have started appearing on the stretch of road near Paapragad. The pilgrims’ vehicles are being assisted in crossing over the damaged stretch of the road,” Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Bhatwari Shalini Negi said.
The Yamunotri Yatra remains closed after a stretch of road was washed out on June 28 due to a landslide triggered by a cloudburst near Silai Band, located between Paligaon, Ojri and Dabarkot on the Yamunotri Highway.
Meanwhile, the work of constructing a Bailey bridge on the washed-out stretch of road near Silai Band, located between Ojri and Paligaon, has picked up pace and is expected to be completed in two or three days.
The Badrinath Yatra was briefly halted in Chamoli district due to a landslide near Nandprayag on Sunday. Public works department (PWD) teams cleared the debris in 30 minutes, the duty officer of Chamoli district disaster management authority said.
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In Tehri district, a stretch of road on the Narendra Nagar–Ranipokhari road was closed around 11 am near Gujrara. Teams were deployed, and the road is expected to reopen in approximately five hours, district disaster management officer Brijesh Bhatt said.
According to the State Emergency Control Operation Centre, a total of 62 roads were closed due to landslides and debris fall caused by rainfall since the onset of the monsoon in the state.
The state recorded 2.2 mm of rain in the past twenty-four hours till 8:30 am on Sunday, with Pithoragarh receiving 9.2 mm of rain, while the remaining districts recorded rainfall between zero and 2.7 mm.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Dehradun centre has issued an orange alert with a forecast of heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in Dehradun, Rudraprayag, Tehri, and Bageshwar districts on Monday, while a yellow alert has been sounded with specific warnings of heavy rain in place for Uttarkashi, Dehradun, Rudraprayag, Tehri, and Bageshwar districts till July 10.
