DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government has placed eight districts on high alert after the India Meteorological Department warned of a low-to-moderate flash-flood risk amid relentless monsoon rain.
District magistrates have been directed to keep rescue and relief teams ready through August 3, with widespread showers expected to persist during the coming week.
The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) issued alerts for Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Tehri, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh. Disaster-management officials and departmental nodal officers have been told to remain mobilised and respond swiftly to landslides, flooding or stranded residents.
“Food, drinking water and medical assistance must be arranged immediately wherever people are stranded,” the state directive said. Administrations were also asked to protect schoolchildren, pre-position machinery along landslide-prone roads and restrict tourist movement in high-altitude areas whenever conditions deteriorate.
The prolonged spell has already disrupted connectivity across the hill state, leaving 102 roads blocked. These include one national highway, two Border Roads Organisation routes, one major district road, 17 Public Works Department roads and 82 rural and PMGSY links.
Chamoli is the worst-hit with 23 closures, followed by Pithoragarh with 19, Rudraprayag with 17 and Tehri with 12. Seven roads each are shut in Pauri and Bageshwar, while six remain closed in Dehradun.
On the Kedarnath trek near Gaurikund in Rudraprayag, falling debris and stones forced authorities to halt pilgrims at safe locations. Movement on the Yamunotri trail near Janki Chatti in Uttarkashi was also suspended as a swollen river and rain-slick paths raised safety concerns. Traffic later resumed on the Barkot-Naugaon highway after debris was cleared.
The Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers in Rudraprayag were flowing close to warning levels. Authorities are continuously monitoring the Ganga in Haridwar, Bhagirathi in Uttarkashi, Saryu and Gomti in Bageshwar, and Kali, Gori and Saryu in Pithoragarh. All major rivers remained below the danger mark, officials said, but residents were urged to avoid riverbanks and vulnerable slopes.
The Char Dham pilgrimage remains operational despite intermittent weather-related stoppages. By Friday evening, more than 45.75 lakh devotees had visited Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri and Hemkund Sahib this season; a total of 6,300 pilgrims offered prayers at the four shrines on Friday.
IMD’s seven-day outlook predicts light-to-moderate rain and thunderstorms across large parts of Uttarakhand from Saturday until August 5. With already saturated slopes and rising streams, officials fear even short bursts of intense rain could quickly trigger localised floods, rockfalls and fresh widespread road blockages.
SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi said response teams were ready for deployment. “Given the continuously active monsoon, all SDRF units have been advised to maintain special vigilance in vulnerable districts over the next few days,” he told TNIE.
