IMD SOUNDS HEAVY RAINFALL ALERT FOR TWO UTTARAKHAND DISTRICTS

AMID PREDICTION OF HEAVY RAINS, SDRF HAS KEPT 28 OF ITS TEAMS ON HIGH ALERT FOR QUICK RESPONSE

DEHRADUN: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday issued alert for heavy rainfall in Nainital and Pithoragarh districts on Wednesday, even as about 250 roads remain blocked due to landslides caused by heavy rainfall across the state.

There was some respite from heavy rains in major parts of the state on Tuesday but many roads still remained closed for traffic as the administration couldn’t clear debris.

Among the major roads blocked for traffic are Rudraprayag-Gaurikund road in Rudraprayag district and Tanakpur-Purnagiri road in Champawat district. Local administrations are trying to open the roads for traffic using heavy machines.

The IMD said on Tuesday, maximum temperature of 31.0°C was recorded at Khatima and minimum temperature of 11.0°C was recorded at Nainital.

Meanwhile, a 12-year-old boy died while trying to cross an overflowing water stream at a village in Pauri Garhwal district. The boy was crossing the stream on foot when a tree fell on him trapping him under it. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to injuries, police said.

In another incident, a state disaster response force (SDRF) team on Tuesday continued their search operation in a river in Kalsi area of Dehradun to locate two missing labourers from a hydropower plant. The labourers had gone missing since Saturday when they were working in the plant where they were swept away by heavy rainwater flow.

Amid prediction of heavy rains in the state, the SDRF has kept 28 of its teams on alert for quick response to any calamity.