Surabhi Gorebal, Pune
The past few days have seen floods pound the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. Personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were dispatched to many places and instructed to look out in light of the current circumstances.
Around 22 lives were lost in natural disasters over the course of the past week across the state. Since June 15, there have been 60 fatalities associated with it, in addition to 37 injuries and 17 unaccounted for. Over 35 homes have completely collapsed, 125 have suffered severe damage, and 1,169 have been partially damaged.
In a Facebook post, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “Very sad news was received about the casualties of many people due to heavy rains in Pauri district. I pray to God to grant the departed souls a place at his feet and strength for the bereaved family members to bear this immense suffering. Teams of SDRF and district administration are engaged in relief and rescue work. In view of the situation, Chardham Yatra has also been suspended for two days, and all devotees are requested to travel according to the weather.”
70–80 people were evacuated from Kangri hamlet and moved as a precaution due to the Ganga River’s water level running above the danger mark in Haridwar. On Sunday, two people riding a bike and four people in a car were both saved by the SDRF team in Bhogpur.
Previously, in October 2021, there was a similar case where 20,000 pilgrims visited the Kedarnath temple. As per the police reports, 15,000 of them were sent back to Gaurikund from Kedarnath until the weather improved.
Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department has issued a red alert, warning that Dehradun, Tehri, and Pauri districts may experience heavy to very heavy rainfall for the next 24 hours. For the districts of Haridwar, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar, an orange alert has been issued. In the Chamoli and Bageshwar districts, we are also likely to see downpours.