Ganga above danger mark,Haridwar on alert

DEHRADUN: Torrential rains claimed lives of five people in various parts of Uttarakhand while the Ganga breached the danger mark in Haridwar forcing the administration to take all necessary steps to evacuate the people from low lying areas.

Officials said the Ganga was likely to rise further in the night.

Two bikers were killed in Nainital district on Monday morning when a land mass buried them due to a landslip . According to the Nainital Police, rescuers retrieved the body of one of the bikers from the debris while the other was badly damaged. An identity card mentions one of the bikers name as Sujan, Nainital senior superintendent of police Janmejay Khanduri said. In two other incidents, a seven-year-old boy Ajay was washed away by the swelled tributary of the Mandakini river at Guptkashi and a 21-year-old womann Reshma was swept away by the Mandakini near Fata in Guptakashi in Kedar Valley of Rudraprayag district. “Ajay’s body was recovered by State Disaster Response Force rescue teams (SDRF) on Monday evening. Search is on for Reshma’s body,” said Shridhar Badola circle officer, Rudraprayag.

The fifth incident occurred in Bageshwar when a boy died after a seasonal river dragged him into the deep waters.

The Haridwar administration sounded alert in afternoon after the Ganga crossed the danger mark of 293 m. As per the Central Water Commission, the Ganga was flowing at 293.25 m at 12.00 PM in Haridwar and it was expected to further rise in the night. “This is the first time that the Ganga crossed its danger mark in this monsoon. We have instructed officials and district magistrate of Haridwar to make public announcement of the river’s flow,” said Amit Singh Negi, secretary of state disaster management. “The district administration is on alert and rescue and search teams of SDRF are deployed at strategic locations. Constant monitoring is being done at important locations” Haridwar SSP Krishna Kumar VK said.

HEAVY TO VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IS LIKELY TO OCCUR AT ISOLATED PLACES ESPECIALLY IN DOON, HARIDWAR, PAURI, CHAMOLI, NAINITAL AND US NAGAR

MET WARNING

The weather department issued a heavy rain alert for both Kumaon and Garhwal regions over the next 72 hours.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places especially in Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri, Chamoli, Nainital, US Nagar and Pithoragarh districts during the period, MeT office director Bikram Singh said.

The sky remained overcast in Dehradun amid intermittent drizzling with maximum temperature hovering around 30 deg Celsius.