Heavy rains pound Uttarakhand, damage highways
DEHRADUN: Torrential rains which began on Wednesday night continued throughout Thursday throwing normal life out of gear. Landslides and rock falls blocked the Tanakpur-Pithoragarh National Highway for 12 hours, while over 75 roads, including four state highways, remain closed in the region.
Sources in the District Disaster Management office said the Dharchula-Tawaghat road connecting the state to the China border remains shut for the second consecutive day, stranding over 50 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims in Dharchula.
Six houses were reduced to rubble and eight others are on the verge of collapse due to flash floods triggered by a breach of a lake formed by gypsum mining in Mangarh village in the Berinag development block. The disaster was caused by heavy rains.
DM Vinod Goswami and SP Rekha Yadav jointly visited the affected area to assess the situation and provided immediate relief to the affected families. A cheque of Rs 1.3 lakh and an additional cash relief were handed over to each family. Additionally, Rs 3,000 each were provided to two families who lost their cattle sheds.
A District Disaster Management Office spokesperson said the blocked Tanakpur-Tawaghat highway was cleared near Ghatkola after a five-hour operation. SDM Manjeet Singh inspected the road upon reaching Chetladhar. Due to continuous rains, the SDM has appealed to Adi Kailash pilgrims to avoid unnecessary travel.
“The situation is challenging, but we’re working to restore connectivity,” said the DDMA official, as heavy rainfall in Champawat and Almora districts blocked roads, stranding vehicles and passengers.
The Tanakpur-Pithoragarh highway was blocked near Gurna Santola, forcing many, including army personnel, to risk their lives and cross the debris-filled terrain. “We’re doing our best to clear the roads, but the rain is making it difficult,” said the DDMA spokesperson.
In Almora, the Salta-Almora route was severely affected, with a small bridge pillar near Mohaan shifting due to the rain, halting heavy vehicles’ movement. Smaller vehicles were allowed to pass with caution. Landslides in the Danyas area and the Panyali stream swelling caused further disruptions, but PWD officials used JCBs to restore traffic flow.
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has instructed the State Disaster Response Force teams and DMs to stay alert due to heavy rainfall affecting various parts of the state. He also urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel during this period. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued a red alert estimating the probability of severe rainfall on September 13 in Uttarakhand.
More than 50 Mansarovar pilgrims stranded
The Dharchula-Tawaghat road connecting the state to the China border remains shut for the second consecutive day, stranding over 50 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims in Dharchula. Six houses were reduced to rubble and eight others are on the verge of collapse due to flash floods triggered by a breach in a lake formed by gypsum mining in Mangarh village. The disaster was caused by heavy rains in the region.