Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 28 Jul: In view of the IMD’s orange alert for most districts and heavy rainfall continuing since last night, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami early this morning reviewed the situation with Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman. During the review, the CM sought detailed information on the rainfall, condition in the districts, on the blocked roads, river water levels, waterlogging, relief and rescue operations as well as on the administrative preparedness to deal with the disasters. Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Minister Madan Kaushik and Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan also held discussions with the Secretary and they directed that all the state and district emergency operation centres remain active round the clock, monitor every incident continuously, and ensure immediate coordinated response in any emergency.
Dhami stressed that all the departments must work in full coordination on 24×7 alert mode. There should be no delay in relief and rescue operations in any disaster or emergency. He instructed officials to act immediately on every report and ensure timely availability of resources in affected areas. The district magistrates and senior officers were directed to visit the field and personally assess the situation. The CM directed that the rain‑blocked roads be reopened on priority, with adequate availability of JCBs, poclains, bulldozers and other machinery to restore traffic swiftly and prevent disruption in relief and rescue work.
Dhami also directed that the helicopter services must remain fully on alert mode so that relief and rescue operations can be immediately launched in remote and disaster‑affected areas and assistance reach people without delay. He instructed that, if electricity, drinking water or communication services are disrupted due to heavy rain or landslides, the departments must ensure their restoration on top priority. Stressing that the safety of pilgrims on the Char Dham Yatra and other routes is paramount, he directed that in case of heavy rain or landslides, the pilgrims should be halted at safe locations and allowed to proceed only after the weather and road conditions normalise.
Following the CM’s directions, Secretary Disaster Management Vinod Kumar Suman held a virtual meeting with the district officials to review the situation. He conveyed all instructions of the CM emphasising special vigilance in sensitive areas and immediate coordinated action by all departments. He directed the DMs to regularly review relief and rescue operations and ensure effective response in any emergency. Suman stated that the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) is maintaining continuous 24‑hour monitoring of the situation across the state, with constant coordination with district centres, DMs and the departments. During the review, SCEO Administration Prakash Chandra, SCEO Implementation DIG Rajkumar Negi, JCEO Dinesh Kumar Punetha and SEOC in‑charge Pratibha Purohit were also present.
According to the district‑level weather warning issued by IMD Dehradun, orange alerts have been declared for 29 and 30 July in several districts. On 29 July, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in Dehradun, Tehri, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar, Nainital, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar, with thunderstorms, lightning and intense spells possible. On 30 July, Bageshwar, Champawat and Pithoragarh are under orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall, while Uttarkashi, Dehradun, Pauri, Tehri and Nainital may experience heavy rain. The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) has directed all the district administrations to work with full vigilance. The residents and the Char Dham pilgrims have been advised to follow IMD warnings and district advisories, avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from landslide‑prone areas, rivers and waterlogged sites, and comply with instructions issued by the administration in any emergency.
