DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand is battling a severe monsoon crisis with relentless rains triggering landslides, road closures, and multiple rescue operations.
An orange alert has been issued for seven districts, while authorities search for 15 people missing in separate rain-related incidents. The incessant downpour and subsequent landslides are making rescue and recovery operations incredibly difficult.
Rescue operations are underway to locate 15 individuals who went missing in two separate incidents. A Tempo Traveller plunged into the Alaknanda River last week, claiming three lives, and seven individuals are still untraceable. In a separate incident near Silai Band, six labourers went missing after a road was completely washed away by surging waters.
The Rishikesh-Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi has been entirely washed away near Silai Band and Aujhari, bringing all vehicular movement to a halt. The Kalsi-Chakrata State Highway in Dehradun district is also closed due to a massive debris slide. However, several key routes remain open, including the Rishikesh-Gangotri National Highway and the Rishikesh-Badrinath and Joshimath-Malari-Niti National Highways.
The scale of disruption is significant, with a staggering number of roads closed across various districts due to debris. These include 15 roads in Uttarkashi, 11 in Tehri, nine in Rudraprayag, five in Pithoragarh, 48 in Pauri, two in Nainital, nine in Dehradun, 15 in Champawat, 21 in Chamoli, 16 in Bageshwar, and two in Almora district.
District Magistrate Prashant Arya has taken charge, conducting an on-site inspection of the affected area and issuing urgent directives to joint teams from NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, Police, and the Revenue Department to intensify search and rescue efforts. He has also directed the Irrigation Department to expedite work on draining water from a lake forming in the Yamuna River.
The immediate focus remains on the tragic incident that occurred late Saturday night, which affected 29 labourers. Of these, 20 labourers have been safely rescued, and three deaths have been confirmed. A continuous and desperate search is underway for the remaining six missing labourers.
The situation remains critical, and authorities are working tirelessly to rescue those affected and restore normalcy to the region.