Garhwal Post Bureau
Mussoorie, 10 Jul: Persistent torrential rain is now posing a threat in the hill regions. On Friday, traffic came to a complete standstill after massive trees fell onto the road at two separate locations in the Mussoorie. Fortunately, no vehicles or pedestrians were struck by the falling trees in either incident, averting a major tragedy. Upon receiving the information, teams from the Fire and Emergency Services and relevant departments rushed to the sites and, after hours of strenuous effort, reopened the roads for traffic.
The first incident occurred on the Jharipani-Chuna Khala road, below Jharipani Castle, where a huge tree suddenly collapsed onto the road due to continuous rain. The fallen tree completely blocked the route, causing long queues of vehicles to form on both sides. Locals immediately informed the administration, prompting the start of relief operations. The second incident took place on the Indira Colony-Bypass-Kempty Fall road. Here too, a large tree fell onto the main road amidst heavy rain, completely disrupting traffic. Upon being notified, a team from the Mussoorie Fire and Emergency Services Centre immediately arrived at the scene. Fire personnel used wood cutters to slice the tree into smaller sections, cleared it from the road, and restored smooth traffic flow within a short time. According to the Fire Department, there was no loss of life in either incident, which was a relief. The fire unit returned to the station after completing the relief and rescue operations. Driver Pradeep Kumar and firemen Subhash Singh, Nitin Singh Chauhan, and Ravindra Bisht played an active role in the relief work.
Amidst the ongoing rain and the Meteorological Department’s ‘Red Alert,’ the administration has appealed to the public to avoid unnecessary travel and to exercise extra caution, especially on routes prone to landslides and falling trees. Continuous rainfall in the hilly regions has increased the risk of falling trees and debris slides. Consequently, the disaster management team, the fire department, and the administration are on high alert.
