Uttarakhand rains trigger landslides, boulder crashes into govt residential unit

IMD issued orange alert for Thursday in Dehradun, Chamoli and Bageshwar districts, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning

Heavy rainfall lashed parts of Uttarakhand on Wednesday, triggering landslides that disrupted sections of the Char Dham pilgrimage routes and other roads across the state, while a massive boulder broke off from a hillside and crashed into a government quarter in Mussoorie, injuring a woman.

The boulder fell into a government residential unit located inside the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) office complex on Wednesday and entered the living room of government employee Govind Singh Negi, where he was asleep with his wife, Reva Negi, and their minor child.

“A large boulder struck the wall of our house early in the morning and damaged a portion of the structure. It was a miraculous escape for my wife, who suffered minor injuries after bricks fell close to her bed,” Negi said.

The family has shifted to a safer location nearby amid fears that the damaged structure could collapse during another spell of heavy rain. Residents of neighbouring quarters have urged the authorities to repair the ageing buildings.

SDM Rahul Anand said directions have been issued to repair the damaged walls and construct a retaining wall behind the house to ensure the safety of government employees.

In Uttarkashi district, the Yamunotri National Highway (NH-134) near Syanachatti was temporarily blocked on Wednesday morning following landslides and boulder falls. National Highway personnel cleared the debris and restored traffic by around 10 am.

Another stretch near Papargad, where movement of heavy vehicles had been restricted due to earlier damage, was repaired and reopened for light and medium vehicles, district disaster management officials said.

The landslides also disrupted vehicular movement in Tehri district, leaving six motor roads blocked. National Highway 707A near Jeevan Ashram on the Mussoorie Bend-Kempty route was affected by heavy landslides and boulders, prompting the deployment of heavy machinery to clear the debris.

Several irrigation channels in Jaunpur tehsil, including those in Aindi, Khaskoti, Pavet and Gharada villages, were damaged. A pedestrian pathway connecting Aindi and Piftausi was also affected, while heavy rains disrupted the drinking water supply pipeline in Parogi village.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Uttarakhand received 15.8 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Wednesday against the normal rainfall of 13.1 mm, registering an excess of 21%.

Dehradun recorded the highest rainfall at 44.5 mm against the normal of 17.8 mm, an excess of 150%. Bageshwar received 24.8 mm of rainfall, 156% above normal, followed by Almora with 21.7 mm and Chamoli with 20.1 mm. Tehri Garhwal, Nainital, Uttarkashi and Udham Singh Nagar also recorded above-normal rainfall.

The Alaknanda river in Rudraprayag district touched 626 metres at 7 am, just one metre below the danger mark of 627 metres. The Mandakini river was recorded at 624.98 metres, dangerously close to its warning level of 625 metres. At Gaurikund, the river was flowing at 1,973.88 metres, approaching the warning level of 1,975.06 metres.

“Public announcements are being made continuously to caution people against venturing near rivers and high-risk zones,” district disaster management officer of Rudraprayag NS Rajwar said.

The Tehri reservoir in Tehri district recorded a water level of 804.75 metres, with a controlled discharge of 394 cumecs. Water levels in the Ganga, Alaknanda, Balganga and Bhilangna rivers remained below danger marks but hovered close to warning levels at several locations.

Meanwhile, authorities ordered the closure of all schools from Classes 1 to 12 and Anganwadi centres after the IMD has issued an orange alert for Thursday in Dehradun, Chamoli and Bageshwar districts, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning and isolated spells of intense rainfall.

A yellow alert remains in force for Tehri, Uttarkashi, Pauri, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Nainital and Rudraprayag districts, while Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar have been warned of thunderstorms and lightning strikes.