Nainital (Uttarakhand) [India], October 19 (ANI): A cloudburst was reported in a village of Ramgarh in Nainital district of Uttarakhand on Tuesday.
Teams of police and administration were rushed to the spot.
Speaking to media, Nainital Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Preeti Priyadarshini informed that some injured persons have been rescued from the spot.
"Some injured have been rescued from the spot where cloudburst occurred in a village of Ramgarh in Nainital district, their actual number is yet to be ascertained," she said.
Earlier in the day, Badrinath National Highway in Chamoli district was blocked due to debris at seven places following incessant rains over the last 48 hours. An under-construction bridge over the Chalthi River in Champawat got washed away due to a rise in water level today.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today to take stock of the situation arising due to heavy rains in the state.
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 Chamoli district administration, 2,500 devotees, who had gone to Badrinath, are still stationed at the Badrinath Temple waiting for the national highway to re-open as it is blocked due to falling debris following incessant rains in the districts.
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. Dhami on Monday took a detailed review of the situation.
The death toll in rain-related incidents in Uttarakhand rose to 17. Around 100 people were stranded at Lemon Tree Resort located at Ramnagar-Ranikhet route as water from Kosi River entered the resort, around 100 stranded at Ramnagar resort
Rivers in spate amid torrential rains in Uttarakhand
The rivers in Uttarakhand have been in spate amid incessant rainfall in the state for the last 48 hours.
As per information shared by the district administration officials, the Gola bridge in Kathgodam district has collapsed due to the surge in the Gola river affecting the bypass leading to the district.
"Gola barrage is also expected to be damaged by the river. At present, the administration and police are keeping an eye on it and are on full alert mode," stated the officials.
In Nainital, the roads are flooded by water, while in Bhimtal, the houses got filled with debris and water amid waterlogging due to continuous rainfall. The Nandakini river is also witnessing an increase in water level as the Chamoli region continues to experience torrential rains.
The continuous rainfall has caused waterlogging in many parts of the state, while several tourists were reported to be stuck due to rainfall or landslides.
Earlier on Monday, State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) along with Uttarakhand police rescued 22 devotees stuck at Jungle Chatti amid incessant rainfall, while returning from Kedarnath Temple.
Also, passengers were rescued from a vehicle stuck in Lambagad drain on Badrinath highway in Chamoli that got completely blocked due to debris at seven places following incessant rains over the last 48 hours.
As a precautionary measure, the Badrinath Char Dham Yatra has been halted, and passengers en route to Badrinath Temple were stopped in safe places.
Meanwhile, SDRF is continuously monitoring the situation as the national weather forecasting agency — India Meteorological Department — has issued a red alert for Uttarakhand with a forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall in the state for the next few days. (ANI)
