The Rishikesh-Gangotri Highway remains closed for the second consecutive day due to ongoing heavy rainfall. The rain has continued throughout the night, hampering the restoration of traffic on the highway. The stretch near Narendra Nagar Baghdaar has been closed for vehicular movement since the previous day.
On Tuesday, landslides occurred on the Rishikesh-Gangotri Highway near Baghdaar, Plasda Bhadrakali, and Oni due to heavy rain. The debris blocked the road, necessitating the closure. Efforts are being made to clear the debris, but it might take some time before the highway can be reopened. Additionally, a total of 247 roads are closed across the state, including the Rishikesh-Gangotri Highway.
In Rishikesh, vehicles trapped in mud near an SBI branch
Due to heavy rainfall late on Tuesday in Dharamwala near Rishikesh, vehicles got stuck in mud near an SBI branch. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team promptly reached the scene and evacuated people from the area.
Car Swept Away in Kotdwar
In the morning, a car was swept away in a swollen stream (large drain) in Bhabar, Kotdwar. The driver managed to save himself by jumping out of the car during the incident. It is reported that as the river’s flow intensified, people tried to stop the driver from proceeding, but he did not halt and attempted to cross the river by force. As a result, the car was carried a considerable distance downstream and suffered significant damage.
Heavy Rain Warning for Three Days
The state is expected to experience heavy rainfall for the next three days starting from Tuesday. The Meteorological Department issued an orange alert for heavy rain in Dehradun, Pauri, Nainital, Tehri, and Bageshwar districts on August 22. Moreover, a yellow alert has been issued for Haridwar, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Udham Singh Nagar, and Pithoragarh districts.
Bikram Singh, Director of the Meteorological Center, stated that a red alert for rain has been issued for districts like Tehri, Dehradun, Pauri, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, and Udham Singh Nagar on August 23 and 24. He mentioned that heavy rain is expected across all areas of the state during these three days.