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Rains trigger landslides across Uttarakhand, over 80 roads blocked
The Mussoorie-Dehradun road was closed for about an hour. Commuters travelling towards Uttarkashi via Suwakholi were also stranded.
Light to heavy rains lashed several parts of Uttarakhand over the past 24 hours, disrupting traffic on key routes, triggering landslides and leaving more than 80 roads blocked across the state, officials said on Saturday.
The Mussoorie-Dehradun road was closed for about an hour near Pani Wala Bend after a portion of the road that was being repaired subsided amid fresh muck and boulder falls triggered by overnight rain.
A long queue of tourist vehicles heading towards Mussoorie formed on the route. Commuters travelling towards Uttarkashi via Suwakholi were also stranded. Authorities diverted traffic through the alternative Kimadi route while road maintenance teams cleared debris.
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“The repair work was initiated on the stretch damaged earlier, but incessant rain and fresh accumulation of muck caused a portion of it to subside again, forcing us to stop traffic briefly,” said Mussoorie sub-divisional magistrate Rahul Anand.
Traffic was restored after about an hour after one side of the road was cleared. Only light vehicles were allowed to pass alternately, he said.
“Continuous rain is posing a challenge to completing repairs as the newly constructed portion is being washed away almost daily. The work will gain pace once we get a dry spell,” Anand added.
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Meanwhile, the Gangotri National Highway was temporarily blocked near Netala in Uttarkashi district at around 7.41 am after debris and boulders fell onto the road following overnight rain. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) deployed heavy machinery and earthmovers to clear the blockage, and traffic was restored after the debris was removed.
More than 80 roads remained blocked across Uttarakhand due to monsoon-related landslides and debris. Pithoragarh had 16 blocked roads, followed by Chamoli with 14 and Dehradun with five, officials said.
In Tehri, the reservoir level of Tehri Dam stood at 818.73 metres at 8 am, below the danger level of 830 metres but above the warning mark of 815 metres. The dam was discharging 19,495 cusecs of water.
In Haridwar, a wall collapsed in Nagla village around 6.30 am, killing livestock. Local administration officials reached the spot to assess the damage.
Uttarakhand received 6.1 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Saturday, against a normal of 11.5 mm, recording a 47% deficit, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Bageshwar recorded the highest excess rainfall, receiving 25.6 mm against a normal of 5.4 mm, an excess of 374%. Udham Singh Nagar received 15.5 mm against a normal of 12.7 mm, an excess of 22%.
The IMD Dehradun centre recorded localised heavy showers in several areas between 8.30 am and 1 pm. Sultanpur Patti in Udham Singh Nagar recorded the highest rainfall at 25 mm, followed by Chorgalia in Nainital with 17 mm, Maldevta in Dehradun with 7 mm and Chaubatia in Almora with 6.5 mm.
The IMD has issued a yellow alert for August 22, warning of heavy rain, lightning and intense showers in 11 districts — Dehradun, Tehri, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Nainital, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Pauri Garhwal.
Similar warnings have been issued for Dehradun, Tehri, Pithoragarh, Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Pauri and Bageshwar for August 23. Rainfall activity is expected to be concentrated over Dehradun, Nainital and Bageshwar on August 24, and Dehradun, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar on August 25. Pithoragarh and Bageshwar are likely to receive heavy rain on August 26. The authorities have warned of possible landslides, rockfalls, surface runoff and sudden rises in streams and rivulets, particularly in areas where the soil remains saturated.
