U’khand On Alert For Rains; Chardham Yatra Opens: Vinod Kumar Suman

Uttarakhand Secretary of Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Vinod Kumar Suman on Thursday stated that the state is experiencing no major losses due to heavy rainfall, with district officials on high alert and necessary precautions in place.

Addressing the impact of the rains, Suman said that while minor disruptions have occurred at a few locations, the Chardham Yatra route remains fully operational.

“There is no major loss anywhere at present, except in one or two places. Our Chardham Yatra route is fully open. The road between Sonprayag and Gaurikund in Munkutia is slightly obstructed due to debris, but we are able to clear it daily. When it rains, debris falls, and the road is closed temporarily. Once the rain stops, we clear the debris using machines and manpower deployed with full effort. Similarly, the road in Siro Bagad is closed briefly almost daily, but we are reopening it. Likewise, one road on the Gangotri Highway and one in Pithoragarh are closed, but all these roads will be opened today, with some already cleared. Action is underway to open the remaining closed roads,” he said.

According to Suman, around 35 Public Works Department (PWD) roads and some rural routes were temporarily closed, but most have been reopened, ensuring smooth traffic movement.

“Currently, about thirty-five PWD roads and some rural roads, which are main routes, are closed, but almost all are now open, and traffic is running smoothly. Rain continues, and when alerts are received from the IMD, we immediately forward them to the districts from the Meteorological Department, along with instructions on necessary precautions. As mentioned, our main roads–whether for the Chardham Yatra, district connections, or other important state roads–are almost all open, with closures limited to one or two places,” he said.

Heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds, is likely to affect Nainital, Haridwar, Dehradun, and several other major areas through at least August 1.

Meanwhile, on Monday, in view of the forecast of a low- to medium-level flood risk in various districts of Uttarakhand, the State Emergency Operations Centre in Dehradun has advised the District Magistrates (DMs) of all the concerned districts to take precautions. (ANI)