As many as 34 people have died due to incessant rains in Uttarakhand so far, out of which maximum casualties are from Nainital district, informed Uttarakhand DGP, Ashok Kumar on Tuesday, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to take stock of the situation arising due to heavy rains in the state. “PM Modi spoke to Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami and Minister from Uttarakhand Ajay Bhatt. PM took stock of the situation arising due to heavy rains in the state,” sources said. Yesterday, Uttarakhand’s Governor Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd) met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday said that 34 people have lost their lives so far and five still missing due to incessant rain in the state. Dhami visited the Disaster Management Control room. Dhami said, “So far 34 deaths, 5 missing in Uttarakhand due to heavy rains. Those who lost their houses will be given Rs 1,09,000, Rs 4 lakh compensation to the families of the deceased, possible help to be extended to those who lost their livestock.” Later, Dhami also reviewed the assessment of losses caused by incessant rainfall after reaching Rudraprayag. The CM further assured that the possible help will be extended to those who lost their livestock due to heavy rains and landslides in the state. Earlier, Dhami conducted an aerial survey of areas affected due to heavy rainfall.
Road connectivity of Nainital with other parts of the country has also been cut off by heavy rains. All the roads leading to Kaladhungi, Haldwani, Bhawali have been closed by debris due to landslides. Heavy rainfall has caused immense inconvenience to the people, especially the tourists who have come to Nainital.
The Badrinath National Highway in Chamoli district has been completely blocked due to debris at seven places following incessant rains over the last 48 hours, the district administration said on Tuesday. There has been a power cut as well since Monday night in several areas including the district headquarters. As a precautionary measure, the Badrinath Char Dham Yatra has been halted, and passengers en route to Badrinath Temple were stopped in safe places. According to the district administration, 2,500 devotees, who had gone to Badrinath, are still stationed at the Badrinath Temple waiting for the highway to re-open. However, the rain continues to lash the state and Badrinath received fresh snowfall this morning.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police rescued around 22 devotees stuck at Jungle Chatti who were returning from Kedarnath Temple. They were shifted to Gauri Kund. One 55-year-old devotee, who found it difficult to walk, was shifted on a stretcher.
The water level in the Nandakini River has also rose significantly raising an alarm. As per Meteorological Centre Dehradun, Chamoli received 19.8 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had a telephonic conversation with Dhami today to provide necessary assistance to the pilgrims from the state, who are stranded there due to natural calamity and rains. The Gujarat Government’s Emergency Operations Centre had announced helpline number (07923251900) on the instructions of the Chief Minister so that the pilgrims who are trapped there can be contacted and other information can be obtained. “The relatives of Gujarat pilgrims stranded in Uttarakhand will be able to give and get details of loved ones on the number,” it said.
National forecasting agency, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Uttarakhand with a forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall in the state and heavy rainfall has been predicted for the next few days.
DGP Kumar, said, “Around 200 people were stuck at Lemon Tree Resort located at Ramnagar-Ranikhet route. All of them are safe and the process to rescue them is on. Water from Kosi River entered the resort after the river overflowed, blocking the route to the resort.” He added, “So far 24-25 people are dead due to incessant rains, in which maximum casualties are from Nainital district.” Around 200 people were stuck at Lemon Tree Resort, located at the Ramnagar-Ranikhet route as water from the Kosi river entered the resort after the river overflowed, blocking the route to the resort. They all have been evacuated safely,” Kumar informed. Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Dhan Singh Rawat and the state’s Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar also accompanied him. More than 230 villages in the Himalayan state plunged into darkness due to torrential rain since Sunday.
According to the State Disaster Management Secretary, Uttarakhand has recorded more than 200mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. An under-construction bridge, over a raging Chalthi River in Champawat, has been washed away due to a rise in the water level caused by incessant rainfall in parts of Uttarakhand.
Bodies of five labourers were recovered from under the debris after a wall collapsed near Degree College in Mukteshwar in Nainital district and another labourer was safely rescued on Tuesday. Following continuous rainfall, water in the Naini Lake reached its highest-ever level of 12.2 feet today. Water from the lake entered residential areas. Due to continuous rains, the water of the lake overflowed and entered the road leading to the office of the District Magistrate. “More than 200mm rainfall has been recorded in the last 24 hours. Five deaths were reported yesterday in Pauri and Champawat due to heavy rainfall. 11 people lost their lives in Almora, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar today,” said State Disaster Management secretary S.A. Murugesan.