Heavy rains trigger landslides; 72 roads blocked, 40k people cut off

Time of India

5 hours ago

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Dehradun/Bageshwar: Heavy rain blocked 72 roads across Uttarakhand on Saturday, cutting off over 40,000 people in Kumaon, plunging multiple villages into darkness and prompting a night travel ban on Char Dham highways to avoid landslide- and muckslide-triggered mishaps.
Chamoli saw the highest number of blocked roads followed by Bageshwar and Pithoragarh, even as emergency restoration work continued. Heavy rain is likely across several districts on Sunday and Monday, as per SEOC's bulletin based on IMD forecasts.
Widespread damage unfolded in Bageshwar where the Sarayu river swelled alarmingly, submerging ghats and eroding banks. The collapse of a protective wall forced three families to evacuate.
"We couldn't sleep the entire night. It felt like everything would end. The river was roaring like never before," said resident Suresh Dasila.
In Kapkot, landslides buried key routes under debris and stones, halting traffic on 35 village roads. Patients were carried in palanquins due to lack of vehicle access. Kapkot MLA Suresh Garia said, "There is heavy debris everywhere. The administration is working tirelessly to clear the roads and restore connectivity."
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Emergency teams pulled a Nepali family to safety after they got stranded on the Sarayu riverbed. SI Dinesh Chandra Pathak and his team rescued Prem Shahi, his wife Hansi and their two daughters. District disaster management officer Shikha Suyal reported 177 mm rainfall in Bageshwar and 118 mm in Kapkot. "The road restoration work is being carried out on a war footing," she said.
Further damage was reported along the Bhani-Harsingyabagad road where a section of hillside collapsed into the river.
PWD executive engineer Amit Patel said water flow continued despite fears of a dam-like blockage forming.
Mud-choked roads also disrupted traffic in Almora where vehicles struggled to move. Truck driver Balam Singh, who regularly crosses the area, said he relied on divine help amid what he called administrative negligence. Police responded by halting the passage of heavy goods vehicles through the area from Sunday.
Power outages worsened the crisis in Chamoli. Fifteen villages in Nandanagar went dark after rainfall snapped supply lines. Six more villages under Deval tehsil also faced blackout conditions from Friday night. Repair teams worked through the weekend to fix the faults.
A Char Dham pilgrim vehicle on Badrinath highway got stuck in debris. SDRF rescued all passengers and the vehicle was later pulled out with a earthmover on Saturday.
Fearing for their lives, villagers in Thirpak spent the night at a nearby govt hospital after a sudden flow of water flooded their homes around 1am on Saturday. "We returned in the morning to see everything under debris. Our oxen and goats were dead," said resident Raghulal. Another villager, Balbir Lal, said farmland was also destroyed.
SEOC data confirmed 21 blocked roads in Chamoli, 20 in Bageshwar, seven each in Pithoragarh and Rudraprayag and six in Nainital.
A total of 47 PMGSY and RWD roads, 23 PWD roads, one national highway (under BRO) and two state highways remained closed.
Night-time vehicular movement from 9pm to 5am was banned along the Gangotri and Yamunotri highways. District disaster management officer Shardul Gusain said only emergency vehicles would be allowed, given the activation of landslide zones during the monsoon.
Preparations to handle potential flood situations are being tested across five districts — Dehradun, Haridwar, US Nagar, Nainital and Champawat — where a tabletop exercise is scheduled on June 30. Disaster management secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said IMD had forecast an above-normal rainfall, prompting advance mitigation measures.