- विज्ञापन -
Uttarakhand: Amidst heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand, two Indian Air Force personnel drowned in a swollen lake in Bhimtal, officials reported on Friday. Prince Yadav from Pathankot, Punjab, and Sahil Kumar from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, were part of a group of eight IAF personnel, including four women, on vacation in Nainital, according to Circle Officer Pramod Shah. Local residents joined the rescue efforts, which took nearly an hour, to recover their bodies from the lake.
Flooding and Disruption Due to Monsoon Rains
The ongoing heavy rains have severely impacted daily life in Uttarakhand, leading to the closure of over a hundred roads across the state. These closures have disrupted the Chardham yatra and caused shortages of food grains in some villages in the Geeth area of Uttarkashi district. The highway to Yamunotri has been blocked for five days following a major landslide at Silai bend, which left nine people missing and washed away a 12-meter section of the road. Similarly, the road to Kedarnath remains blocked between Sonprayag and Gaurikund due to landslide debris, with efforts underway to reopen these routes.
Official Updates and Relief Measures
Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to evaluate the situation in disaster-prone districts like Kedarnath in Rudraprayag. Dhami shared on X (formerly Twitter) that the Central Government’s emergency agencies, including the NDRF and ITBP, are being swiftly deployed to ensure the uninterrupted conduct of the Chardham Yatra and to prevent any inconvenience to pilgrims. Additionally, the Badrinath highway has been blocked at several points due to boulders, with 109 roads across the hill state closed entirely, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre.
River Levels Rise and Flood Alerts
Most rivers in the state, including the Ganga in Haridwar, Alaknanda, Nandakini, and Pindar in Chamoli, Bhagirathi in Uttarkashi, and Kali, Gori, and Saryu rivers in Pithoragarh, are flowing near danger levels. The Alaknanda river is swollen from Badrinath to Rudraprayag, while the Mandakini has also seen rising water levels over the past three days, with its banks submerged. Authorities are issuing alerts near riverbanks via loudspeakers.
Rising Water Levels and Infrastructure Damage
A lake formed by overflowing Yamuna river at Syanachatti in Uttarkashi’s Barkot is threatening nearby homes and hotels, with officials indicating that mitigation efforts, including silt removal and outlet clearing, are underway. The Yamunotri highway has also been breached at multiple points, including Ojri and Banas, causing ongoing shortages of food supplies in the nearby villages, prompting local leaders to urge immediate action from authorities to address the crisis.
Flooding in Dehradun and Forecast
In Dehradun, roads are heavily waterlogged near Prince Chawk and the Doon Hospital roundabout, with blocked drains and overflowing sewer chambers worsening the situation for commuters and students. Officials forecast that similar weather conditions will persist in various districts over the next few days, maintaining the ongoing challenges caused by the monsoon rains.
