Dehradun, Sep 16: Heavy overnight rains at various places in Uttarakhand damaged roads, houses and shops, and washed out a bridge early on Tuesday, while many people are reported to have gone missing following the calamity that also triggered some landslides.
Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said damage have been reported from Sahastradhara and Mal Devta in Dehradun, and also from Mussoorie. Two to three people are said to be missing in Dehradun, and a death that has been reported from Mussoorie is being verified, he said.
Teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations in the affected areas, while 300 to 400 people have been moved to safety, the official highlighted.
Waterlogging in Tehri left people stranded at Geeta Bhawan, Suman said, adding that they were rescued. Also, a road in Nainital has been blocked by debris brought by a landslide triggered by heavy rain.
Residents of Majhara village were on the road, having survived what they called a landslide that hit their dwellings early in the morning. They claimed that some people have gone missing.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the rain-affected areas of Dehradun district to review the situation on the ground. Local MLAs and senior officials accompanied him.
Interacting with reporters in the rain-hit Maldevta area, he said, “All rivers are in spate following heavy rains. Roads have been breached at 25 to 30 places. Approach roads are cut off. Houses and government properties have been damaged. Normal life is severely affected. Rescue teams are working on a war footing to restore normalcy.” “The state government stands with every affected family. The administration is already on alert mode, and the NDRF, SDRF, police and local administration are constantly active,” he said.
In a post on X earlier in the morning, Dhami said, “Received the sad news of shops getting damaged due to heavy rains in Sasthdhara, Dehradun, late last night. District administration, SDRF, and police have reached the spot and are engaged in relief and rescue operations.” “I am constantly in touch with the local administration in this regard and am personally monitoring the situation. I pray to God for everyone’s safety,” he said in the post in Hindi on X.
The chief minister’s office, in a social media post in Hindi, said that Dhami has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the situation in Uttarakhand following heavy showers. They assured the state of all possible help and asserted that the Union government stands firmly with the people of Uttarakhand in this hour of crisis, according to the CMO.
Heavy rains caused the Song River to swell, flooding the nearby areas.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Sadar, Hari Giri, said, “The water level is rising, and the flow is very strong right now. No deaths have been reported so far. Tourists were staying in the hotels.” Waterlogging has been reported in Dehradun’s IT Park area, with water entering many offices, leaving people stranded.
“I have been stranded here since 5:30am. There is a lot of water. The car here has been stuck since last night and is submerged. Water has entered offices and basements,” said Hrithik Sharma, a local. (Agencies)
