Landslides hit Uttarakhand, yellow alert issued for next 2 days: IMD

A yellow alert has been sounded for the next two days and a red alert for Saturday and Sunday, with a forecast of heavy rainfall.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued a yellow alert for the next two days and a red alert for the weekend in Uttarakhand, as incessant rains continued to cause damage in several parts of the hill state and the water level in major rivers inched towards the danger mark, officials said.

Kanwariyas walk through a flooded street following heavy rains in Haridwar, in Uttarakhand. (AFP)

Read here: Uttarakhand CM Dhami requests tourists, pilgrims to avoid unnecessary journeys amid heavy rains

At least three more deaths were reported in the state on Wednesday, taking the overall toll in rain-related incidents to more than two dozen since June 25. According to the public works department, 449 roads remain blocked in the state due to landslides and boulder falls, prompting chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to reiterate his request to people to avoid unnecessary travel.

According to officials in the weather department, the state reported 30.2 mm rainfall in a span of 24 hours (till 8.30am Wednesday). Almora reported maximum rainfall of 51.3 mm, followed by 46.6 mm in Dehradun, 43.6 mm in Rudraprayag, 43 mm rain in Pauri Garhwal, 33.8 mm in Uttarkashi, 38.3 in Tehri Garhwal and 30.6 mm in Haridwar.

A yellow alert has been sounded for the next two days and a red alert for Saturday and Sunday, with a forecast of heavy rainfall accompanied by thunder and lightning in isolated places, IMD’s Dehradun centre said.

While a yellow alert signifies that people need to stay updated about the severe weather while a red alert is an indication for authorities to take measures to ensure minimum damage and loss of lives.

Read here: Watch | Pilgrims risk lives on blocked highway in rain-battered Uttarakhand

In a tweet, Dhami said: “Our government has issued disaster relief numbers to help the people of Uttarakhand who are stranded in different places of the state and in Himachal Pradesh.”

The chief minister requested people of the state and other tourists and visitors to avoid making unnecessary journeys in view of continuous rains in all parts of the state. He also said that he was taking information on the condition of roads and the intensity of rains from all districts in the disaster control room and added that instructions have been given to the district administration and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to remain on high alert everywhere.

Government officials said the Char Dham Yatra, which began on April 22, was briefly suspended in the morning. In Chamoli district, more than 30 roads were blocked and fresh landslides at Tangni near Pipal Kot, and Chilka, left the yatra pilgrims on Badrinath highway stranded.

The pilgrimage resumed in the afternoon. “More than 5,000 pilgrims visited the Kedarnath shrine till 4pm. All the roads on the yatra route were opened for traffic after the boulders were removed,” NS Rajwar, district disaster management authority officer at Rudraprayag, said.

In Pauri Garhwal, more than 16 roads remained inaccessible due to overnight rains. District magistrate Ashish Chauhan visited Satpuli Road to assess the damage and directed PWD officials to speed up work and reopen the route for light vehicles within 12 hours.

In Kotdwar area, three people died when their car fell into the swollen Khoh river on Tuesday night, police said. The vehicle with five occupants was headed for Kotdwar from Dugadda when the incident took place. While one occupant managed to swim to safety, another got stuck on an island in the river and was later rescued by a SRDF team.

One body has been retrieved so far and a search is on to trace the remaining, a police officer said.

Waterlogging was reported from several places in Dehradun and Haridwar town. Shahpur village in Khanpur in Haridwarwas worst affected with Ban Ganga river almost submerging it.

The district administration has deployed the National Disaster Response Force, SDRF and BEG squads in sensitive rain-affected areas of Haridwar, Laksar and Khanpur block, Haridwar district magistrate Dhiraj Singh Garbyal said.

Read here: High alert sounded as the Ganga, Yamuna begin to swell in Prayagraj

According to the Central Water Commission, the water level in Ganga river is just two meters below the danger mark of 294 metres. The water level of Alaknanda at Srinagar in Garhwal stood at 533.78 metres; the danger level is 536 metres.