Rivers touch danger levels in Uttarakhand
Heavy rains lashed various parts of Uttarakhand on Thursday, leading to inundation of low-lying areas, rise in water level of rivers near dander levels and road blockades due to landslides.
In Dehradun district, Sheetla river water overflowed into Charba village and entered many houses situated near Sahaspur in Vikas Nagar tehsil, trapping the families inside. “State disaster response force (SDRF) and police personnel rushed to the spot, and rescued the trapped families and relocated them to safer areas,” said Shikha Rawat, district disaster management authority officer.
Surya Thapa, a resident, said, “Quick response of the SDRF team made a difference and the trapped families were taken out on time, otherwise it could have resulted in a major tragedy.”
In another incident in Dehradun, a 40-year-old man died after he was washed away in Asan river. Acting on the information given by the locals, a team from Sahaspur police station rushed to the spot and recovered the body. The deceased was identified as Rajesh Sharma on the basis of a tattoo on his right hand and taken to the Vikas Nagar mortuary, police said.
Heavy rains in the Yamuna valley, particularly Jaunsar Bawar region, in Dehradun district swelled rivers. According to the weather department data, the state reported 34 mm rainfall in 24 hours between Wednesday and Thursday morning, with Dehradun recording 81.1 mm, and Uttarakashi 70.6 mm.
At Masrad village in Kalsi block of Dehradun district, several agricultural fields, cowsheds and roads were damaged due to land subsidence triggered by heavy rains. The ration kept in the store was also damaged due to inundation, officials said.
The primary school building in Gatetha village and a pond being constructed under Amrit Sarovar scheme were swamped by mud debris due to landslides. The mud debris also damaged the agricultural fields of 15 families near Badnu village in Dehradun district. Revenue officials have rushed to the spot to assess the damage, said the district disaster management officer.