Swelling Pranmati river in Uttarakhand's Chamoli inundates low-lying areas

Torrential rains in Uttarakhand flooded Pranmati River, a tributary of Pindar River, in Chamoli district causing the inundation of the low-lying areas near it, an official said on Friday.

Chamoli's disaster management officer NK Joshi said the sudden rise in the water level mixed with debris at the confluence of Pranmati and Pindar rivers on Thursday night briefly interrupted the river's flow, causing the inundation of the low-lying areas near it.

However, a district administration team soon rushed to the spot and alerted people asking them not to go to the banks of the rivers, he said. The team remained on the spot throughout the night to maintain a vigil, he said. Water has receded now but left a deposit of debris, sand and boulders inside the temples and agricultural fields on either side of Pindar, he said. However, there was no damage to life and property as residential houses had already been vacated by people in the area following torrential rains in the upper reaches of Tharali earlier this week, he said.