DEHRADUN: A series of devastating cloudbursts rocked Uttarakhand between Thursday night and Friday morning, claiming at least eight lives and leaving over a dozen people missing across the Garhwal and Kumaon regions.
The natural calamities, exacerbated by incessant monsoon rains, triggered widespread destruction in the districts of Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri, and Bageshwar, washing away homes, damaging infrastructure, and burying more than 35 cattle.
The Himalayan states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir are grappling with the severe impact of monsoon-triggered cloudbursts and related natural disasters. Friday, in particular, proved to be a devastating day for Uttarakhand, as reports of cloudbursts in different parts of the state caused widespread panic.
Torrential rains brought down massive debris, inundating several houses and severely damaging roads. Among the confirmed fatalities were two individuals in Dewal (Chamoli), two in Kapkot (Bageshwar), and one woman in Jakholi (Rudraprayag).
A cloudburst washed away three houses, with several residents initially reported missing in Kanyali Kot Posari/Simoti village in Bageshwar district. An SDRF team, led by Sub-Inspector Santosh Parihar, swiftly reached the site. Local villagers had already rescued one injured person. During subsequent rescue operations, the SDRF team recovered two bodies. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing for three other missing individuals, involving local police, fire services, and NDRF.
Disaster management officials confirmed another major cloudburst in Chamoli district's Dewal block. Here, Tara Singh and his wife are reported missing, while Vikram Singh and his wife sustained injuries. Their home and cowshed were buried under debris, trapping an estimated 20 cattle.
Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari confirmed the incident, stating, "Teams from the tehsil administration have been dispatched to the site. In light of the heavy rainfall, a holiday has been declared in all development blocks of Chamoli district for Friday." Roads in Dewal were extensively damaged, and areas like Tharali, Adibadri, and Karnaprayag also experienced heavy downpours.
Nandkishore Joshi, Chamoli's District Disaster Management Officer, told TNIE, "Preliminary reports indicate two people and 15 cattle are buried under debris. Relief teams have been dispatched to ascertain the full extent of the damage and to initiate relief operations."
While the Bhilangana block of Tehri district also witnessed a cloudburst over Genwali village, no human casualties were reported there. However, District Disaster Management Officer Brijesh Bhatt confirmed significant damage to agricultural land, drinking water lines, and electricity infrastructure. "Revenue department teams have been sent to Genwali village. Footbridges and pathways have been damaged at various locations," Bhatt added.
In Karnaprayag, heavy rains led to debris sliding down from the hills in Kaleshwar, entering homes and blocking roads in Subhash Nagar. JCB machines are being deployed to clear the debris, with police also present on site. The water levels in the Alaknanda and Pindar rivers have risen significantly, adding to the concerns.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in a post on X said, "Sad news has been received about some families being stranded due to debris falling in the wake of cloudbursts in Badeth Dungar under Tehsil Basukedaar area of Rudraprayag district and Dewal area of Chamoli district."
"Relief and rescue work is going on on a war footing by the local administration, I am constantly in touch with the officials in this regard, I have spoken to the Disaster Secretary and District Magistrates and given necessary instructions for effective conduct of rescue operations," he said.
"I pray to Baba Kedar for everyone's safety," he said.
Uttarakhand has been hit hard by natural calamities in the monsoon season.
A devastating flashflood in the Kheer Ganga river on August 5 demolished nearly half of Dharali , the key stopover en route to Gangotri with many hotels and homestays, and neighbouring Harsil, where an Army camp bore the brunt of the flood fury, barely giving time to the victims to run to safety.
A total of 69 people went missing, including nine Army personnel, 25 Nepali nationals, 13 from Bihar, six from Uttar Pradesh, eight from Dharali, five from areas close to Uttarkashi, two from Tehri and one from Rajasthan.
(With inputs from PTI)