By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 3 Jul: Uttarakhand continues to reel under the impact of an unrelenting monsoon, with reports of widespread devastation emerging from several districts. Several roads including major highways have caved in, many houses have been washed away, and normal life has come to a grinding halt in many parts of the state.
While the Gangotri Highway has been reopened to traffic following sustained efforts by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), access to major pilgrimage sites such as Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Badrinath remains disrupted due to landslides, heaps of debris, and incessant rainfall. Thousands of pilgrims and local residents are stranded, grappling with mounting hardships.
The Bhatwari region of Uttarkashi district along the Gangotri Highway has witnessed severe land subsidence, resulting in deep fissures and a complete suspension of vehicular movement. The BRO, after relentless work, has managed to restore the route, providing some respite to stranded commuters. However, several other stretches continue to experience fresh blockages as a result of ongoing landslides. The land subsidence here has resulted in the appearance of deep cracks and a complete halt in vehicular movement. After tireless work, the BRO succeeded in restoring the route, offering partial relief to stranded commuters. Nevertheless, other stretches continue to witness fresh blockages due to continued slides.
In Badrinath, the Alaknanda River is in full spate due to incessant rains, imperilling residential dwellings along its banks. A sudden surge in water level early this morning led to the inundation of four residential buildings occupied by members of the Valmiki community. However, the residents managed to escape in time, averting loss of life. The bridge linking the District Hospital and the Valmiki settlement is also submerged. The situation worsened as the Alaknanda crossed the danger mark, submerging the 15-foot-high idol of Lord Shiva situated beneath the Belni bridge and rendering pedestrian pathways impassable. Water has also reached the entrance of the revered Koteshwar Temple cave.
Residents of the Valmiki settlement were compelled to evacuate their homes in the early hours today due to the sudden rise in river levels, which triggered flood-like conditions and inflicted considerable damage. The affected residents voiced their anguish, lamenting the absence of timely administrative alerts despite the heavy overnight downpour in Badrinath. They have urgently appealed for government assistance.
Calamity has also struck the Gangotri Highway once again, as a 10-metre stretch at Bhatwari caved in following a fresh landslide. The BRO is engaged in round-the-clock restoration efforts, with police personnel deployed at the site, ultimately managing to restore the traffic. Travellers stuck on the route were moved as soon as road conditions allowed. However, the damaged stretch remains precarious and could be completely engulfed by the adjacent river.
The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for Dehradun, Tehri, Nainital, and Champawat districts, predicting spells of heavy rainfall accompanied by lightning, Meteorologist Rohit Thapliyal predicted today that rains are likely to persist for the next five days, with prospects of intense showers in several mountainous areas.
Meanwhile, in the Yamunotri valley, continuous rain overnight led to multiple blockages along the Yamunotri Highway. The lake formed on the Yamuna River at Syana Chatti has risen sharply, submerging the ground floors of several hotels. The motor bridge on the highway is now at risk, while large portions of the road have been washed away, halting all movement. Yamunotri Dham and nearly eighteen surrounding villages have been cut off from the Tehsil headquarters. The Gangotri Highway is also shut at Sanglai Helgugad, leaving travellers stranded since morning.
At Karnaprayag, a massive landslide occurred near Umatta during the night. Around 1 a.m., debris from the hillside rolled down onto a hotel situated beside the highway. The hotel operator, his family, and staff escaped narrowly. A passing taxi was also buried under the rubble, but its occupants managed to extricate themselves with difficulty. Since Thursday morning, the National Highway Authority has been clearing debris from one end, though the overwhelming volume and continuing rockfall from the hillside have delayed reopening efforts.
The closure has caused long queues of vehicles to build up at both ends. Police have diverted traffic heading to Badrinath and adjoining destinations via Siwai. Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Tehsildar, and officials from the National Highways Authority are on-site overseeing operations. Water supply pipelines belonging to the Jal Sansthan have also been buried under the debris, aggravating the situation further.
As the yellow alert remains in force across Dehradun, Tehri, Nainital, and Champawat, heavy rains and lightning remain a concern for the coming days. The Meteorological Department reiterated that the wet spell is likely to continue, particularly over the hill terrains. Today, multiple rounds of rain accompanied by thunder resulted in a 1.4-degree drop in the maximum temperature as compared to yesterday with the maximum temperature of 33 Degree Celsius today. Yesterday, Dehradun had recorded a maximum temperature of 34.4 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 24.3 degrees Celsius. According to meteorologist Rohit Thapliyal, Dehradun needs to be ready for sustained heavy rainfall over the next five days.
