DEHRADUN: Rains lashed many places in Uttarakhand on Sunday, triggering landslides that blocked several roads, including the Badrinath national highway, officials said.
Uttarakhand, which is facing a natural water disaster due to torrential and destructive rains, has issued a 'red' alert across seven districts for the next three days.
The State Meteorological Centre has issued a red alert for Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Haridwar, Champawat, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar for July 17. At the same time, there is an orange alert across the state on July 18. Whereas, there is a yellow alert of rain in all districts for July 19.
Meteorological Department Director Dr Bikram Singh told TNIE: "A red alert has been declared in view of the possibility of lightning with heavy rains and thunderstorms."
Designated officers and departmental nodal officers of the IRS system of disaster management have also been instructed to remain vigilant.
State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Commandant Manikant Mishra told this newspaper, "Additional forces of SDRF's water police have been deployed at sensitive waterlogged places so that rescue can be done in a short time in case of any untoward incidents."
According to information received from the District Disaster Management Control Room Haridwar, "The situation in rural areas remains stable due to lack of more rain on Sunday."
The abutment of a bridge on the Joshimath-Malari road was damaged due to debris and excess water flowing into the Girthi Ganga river at Niti Ghati in Chamoli district's Joshimath.
"The platform of the Graf bridge on the Joshimath-Malari motorway has been damaged due to excessive water and debris in the Gruthi Ganga river, about eight kilometres from Malari to Sumna," Joshimath SDM Kumkum Joshi told this newspaper.
There was no movement of common people on the said motor bridge, which was only used by the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.
Meanwhile, rescue and relief operations continued in flood-hit areas in Haridwar.
National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Army and police are carrying out the operations in Roorkee, Bhagwanpur, Laksar and Haridwar tehsils, the officials said.
In these tehsils, 3,756 families have been affected in 71 villages. Of these families, 81 have been shifted to relief camps, they said.
Five people have died in these areas due to the floods. Seven houses have been completely damaged and 201 suffered partial damage. Seventeen roads and nine bridges have also been damaged due to the heavy rains in Haridwar, they added.
The water level in the Kali River in Pithoragarh district's Dharchula has crossed the warning level of 889 metres, while several other rivers, including the Ganga, are flowing close to the danger mark, the officials said.
At 70 mm, Kapkot received the maximum rainfall in the state in the last 24 hours, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre.
Mussoorie received 61 mm of rainfall, Karnprayag 57 mm, Chamoli 54.4 mm, Nagthat 53 mm, Mohkampur 48 mm, Vikasnagar 41 mm and Uttarkashi 39 mm.
The officials said 2,000-3,000 cusecs of water were released from the Srinagar Hydro Electric Project dam in the Pauri district as the Alaknanda River was flowing above the warning level, the officials said.
The State Emergency Operation Center has instructed the district magistrates of Tehri, Pauri, Dehradun and Haridwar to take necessary precautions, they said.
(With additional inputs from PTI)