Indus Valley Times

DEHRADUN, AUG 1: Monsoon fury in Uttarakhand has wreaked havoc, claiming seven lives including three members of a single family, in cloud bursts and landslides.

The rescue teams have safely evacuated 320 people stranded on travel routes. The government has issued a high alert in the Kedar Valley and has suspended the Kedarnath Yatra until further notice.

According to sources in the Disaster Management Office, the Kedarnath pedestrian path has been closed due to heavy damage caused by cloud bursts.

Rescue efforts are underway to evacuate pilgrims stranded on the pedestrian paths, with helicopters also being used in the operation.

“NDRF and SDRF personnel are working to rescue pilgrims in Lencholi. The most damage has been reported in Lencholi, Gaurikund, and Sonprayag. Stranded pilgrims and travelers are being rescued by helicopter, as roads and pedestrian paths have been damaged,” the District Disaster Management Officer, Nandan Singh Rajwar, told TNIE.

“Since Thursday morning, SDRF and other relief teams have transferred 320 pilgrims to safe locations. SDRF teams are continuously monitoring the situation day and night in Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts,” Commandant of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Manikant Mishra, told this newspaper.

According to reports, a 30-meter stretch of the Kedarnath pedestrian path has been washed away near Jungle Chatti. As a precautionary measure, 200 people have been accommodated in GMVN guest houses and police stations.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will conduct an aerial survey of the affected areas in Rudraprayag and review the rescue and relief efforts.

Other incidents of damage and casualties have been reported in Tehri, Chamoli, and Karnaprayag. The State Disaster Management Office has confirmed that a couple died in a hotel collapse in Ghansali, while a woman died in a house collapse in Gairsain.

A search operation was conducted by the SDRF team in the Ghansali area of Tehri district in Uttarakhand after reports emerged of three people going missing due to a cloud burst at Jakhnyali. The team was able to rescue one person from a deep gorge approximately 200 meters from the road head, who was moved to a nearby hospital.

The bodies of the other two were recovered and handed over to the district police. The deceased have been identified as: Bhanu Prasad (50) and Anita Devi (45).

In an another incident, two people went missing in Chamoli’s Belchori. A 26-year-old woman died in Rohida due to a landslide.

In Mussoorie, roads have been blocked due to landslides, and several roads in Karnaprayag have been closed due to debris and fallen trees.

Jitendra Tripathi, Executive Engineer with PWD, said that the roads are unsafe for heavy vehicles due to landslides.

The Gangotri Highway is being cleared of debris and boulders using a JCB machine, but the process is slow, causing inconvenience to Char Dham pilgrims and locals. A local resident, Suresh Negi, said that small machines are being sent by BRO, leading to delays in clearing the road.

In Tharali, a bridge over the Pranmati river has been washed away for the second time in a month. The bridge, built by DDRF, was destroyed in a matter of hours. The closure of the bridge has disrupted connectivity to five villages in Tharali.

Meanwhile, pilgrims stranded on the trek route to Kedarnath are being brought to the emergency helipad, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a post on Facebook.

An advisory has also been issued for pilgrims bound for Kedarnath asking them to postpone their journey till the road is restored.

Fresh registrations for the Chardham Yatra have been put on hold for the time being.

Dhami visited the disaster management centre here on Thursday morning to review the situation across the state and asked officials to remain alert.

“Due to heavy rains last night across the state, life was affected in many places. Rescue teams conducted operations throughout the night and took people to safer places. I am in constant touch with the local administration and have instructed the NDRF and SDRF teams to remain on alert mode in the affected areas,” Dhami said in a post on X.

“Relief and rescue operations are being conducted in Rambada, Bhimbali, Jakhaniyali and other more affected areas. The safety of every resident of the state, the devotees and tourists coming from other states is our priority, for which our entire team is working with promptness. All of you are requested to travel only after getting an update on the weather situation,” he said.

Many colonies and markets of Bhupatwala, Haridwar, Naya Haridwar, Kankhal and Jwalapur also got flooded. A house collapsed due to heavy rain in Talla village of Pithoragarh district. Three more houses in the village were damaged. Schools up to class 12 and Anganwadi centres have been closed for Thursday in various districts, including Dehradun.

-PTI