Uttarakhand landslides cause severe damage to life & property, nearly 100 roads blocked

Following continuous rains and incidents of landslide, several roads have been blocked in Dharchula district of Uttarakhand, officials said on Wednesday. Heavy rainfall for past week in many parts of state has caused severe dam to life and property. district officials have carried out operations to clear roads from Tawaghat to Darma valley. roads are expected to be cleared in five to six days, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Anil Kr Shukla said.

As several parts of Uttarakhand continue to reel under heavy rains, nearly 100 roads have been blocked in state including a stretch of Badrinath highway. As per officials, National Highway 58 has been blocked for past 20 days, following many landslides. 

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Brijesh Bhatt, disaster manment officer for Tehri Garhwal district said continuous rainfall has led to frequent incidents of landslides and falling of debris from mountains on Rishikesh-Srinagar stretch. Totaghati area on National Highway 58 which connects to Badrinath has also been closed after frequent landslides since past 20 days and work is underway to clear roads. public works department has informed that more than 100 roads including four national highways have been blocked and over 200 machines have been deployed to clear roads for smooth movement of traffic.

Roads have been blocked at Bailparao-Kotabag-Kaladhungi on state highway 61, Fatehpur-Aniya motor road, Nauna Byasi-Siltona-Budlakote motor road and Chhiyori-Dhura-Suyalkhet motor road in Nainital. In Bshwar district, houses of two locals from Majhga vill and Galai vill got destroyed due to heavy rainfall on same day.

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Yellow alert in Uttarakhand

India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a yellow alert from August 24 to 27 in Uttarakhand. Heavy rainfall with intense spells and lightning is likely to occur at isolated places in Pithoragarh, Bshwar, Dehradun and Chamoli districts of state on August 24-25.

MeT department predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall with intense spells likely to occur at isolated places in Dehradun, Pauri, Haridwar, Tehri, Nainital, Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Bshwar districts on August 26 and 27.

Uttarakhand has already received 764.3 mm of rainfall from June to August 19 compared to rmal range of 848 mm. Bshwar has received maximum rainfall while Uttarkashi has received least rainfall.

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(Im credits: PTI)