With heavy rain continuing to lash different parts of Uttarakhand, nearly 100 roads are still blocked in the state including a stretch of the Badrinath highway (National Highway 58) that has been blocked for the past 20 days, officials informed.
A fresh landslide was reported on Sunday from near Kaudiyala area on the Rishikesh-Srinagar stretch of National Highway 58 in Tehri Garhwal district; a video of which went viral on social media.
Brijesh Bhatt, disaster management officer for Tehri Garhwal district said, “Due to continuous rainfall, landslides and instances of debris falling from the mountains have been reported from the Rishikesh-Srinagar stretch frequently. One particular area of Totaghati on National Highway 58 which connects to Badrinath has been closed since the past 20 days due to frequent landslides. Work is continuously underway to clear the roads.”
As per the report of the public works department, over 100 roads including four national highways were blocked with over 200 machines deployed by the department to open the roads for smooth movement of traffic.
In Mussoorie, five people were injured on Sunday morning after their car fell into a gorge near Hathipaon area.
{{/usCountry}}In Mussoorie, five people were injured on Sunday morning after their car fell into a gorge near Hathipaon area.
{{/usCountry}}Devendra Aswal, in-charge Mussoorie police station said, “We received information about a car having fallen into a gorge on the road near Hathipaon on Sunday. We rushed to the spot and rescued the passengers who were then shifted to the Civil Hospital for treatment.” The injured were identified as residents of Dehradun.
Police officials said that the family members of the injured were informed and as per initial investigation the officials found that the driver of the vehicle had lost control.
In Nainital district, six roads including one state highway was closed on Sunday due to heavy rainfall. Road blocks were reported from Bailparao-Kotabag-Kaladhungi on state highway 61, Fatehpur-Aniya motor road, Nauna Byasi-Siltona-Budlakote motor road and Chhiyori-Dhura-Suyalkhet motor road in Nainital district.
In Bageshwar district, officials from the district control room informed that houses of two locals from Majhgano village and Galai village got demolished on Sunday due to heavy rainfall.
In the weather bulletin issued on Sunday afternoon the India Meteorological Department issued an yellow alert from August 24-27, predicting that heavy rainfall with intense spells is likely to occur at isolated places in Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Dehradun and Chamoli districts of the state on August 24-25. Lightning is also likely to occur at isolated places in the state on these days.
For August 26-27, the MeT department predicted that heavy to very heavy rainfall with intense spells likely to occur at isolated places in Dehradun, Pauri, Haridwar, Tehri, Nainital, Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts of the state.
According to the MeT department, Uttarakhand has already received 764.3 mm of rainfall from June to August 19 compared to 848 mm (the normal range) for these months. Bageshwar district has received the maximum rainfall with a 179% departure from normal rainfall limit and Uttarkashi has received the least rainfall with a negative 50% departure. The state is in an overall 10% rainfall deficit.