Amid rainfall, GSI issues landslide alert in 4 distts
Mussoorie, July 8 -- Heavy rain continued to lash several parts of Uttarakhand on Monday, triggering landslides and boulder falls that blocked over 70 roads across the state. The Geological Survey of India (GSI), meanwhile, has issued a landslide warning for four districts - Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, and Tehri - forecasting the possibility of landslides on July 7 and 8.
According to the state emergency operation centre in Dehradun, Chamoli district reported the highest number of road closures with 23 blocked roads, followed by Bageshwar with 13. Pithoragarh and Rudraprayag reported seven closures each, Tehri had six blocked roads, and Dehradun, Pauri, and Uttarkashi reported five each. One road was closed in Almora. Of the 70 roads blocked, 23 fall under the Public Works Department (PWD) and 42 under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and Rural Works Department.
Pradeep Mohan Goswami, additional secretary of disaster management, in a letter to all departments, said, "According GSI warning, all departments in Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, and Tehri districts are urged to remain alert, particularly on pilgrimage routes and especially in landslide-prone areas."
In Uttarkashi, search operations are going on for two goat herders who were swept away in the Jalendri Gad stream near Kyarkoti, about 18 kilometres on foot from Harsil in Bhatwari tehsil on Saturday evening. "Search teams have been deployed and efforts are underway, but no trace of the missing individuals has been found so far," said Shardul Gusain, district disaster management officer.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast over 50 mm of rainfall across all districts over the next six days. Authorities have advised residents to stay alert, particularly in landslide-prone and flood-vulnerable areas, and to avoid unnecessary travel during periods of intense rainfall. Disaster response teams have been placed on standby, and the weather department is issuing regular updates while closely monitoring the situation.
According to the district administration, teams from the NH division and PWD are working to reopen them using heavy machinery. In Rudraprayag district, nine rural roads were closed, although the Kedarnath Highway was opened to allow the movement of pilgrims, according to the local disaster control authority.
The state recorded an average of 15.2 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours till 8:30 am Monday, marking a 19% increase from the normal average of 12.7 mm. Bageshwar saw the highest deviation, receiving 63.5 mm of rainfall-385% above its normal of 13.1 mm. In contrast, Champawat received just 1.5 mm of rain, 90% below its usual level.
Almora recorded 2.2 mm (83% below normal), while Dehradun saw 2 mm (89% below normal). Uttarkashi and Nainital also recorded significantly lower rainfall than usual, with 2.3 mm and 3.8 mm respectively, both 78% below their seasonal averages.
Chamoli recorded 22.5 mm of rainfall, 188% above its normal of 7.8 mm. Pauri Garhwal received 19.7 mm, a 123% rise from the normal 8.8 mm. Tehri Garhwal experienced 29.1 mm of rain, 235% above its usual 8.7 mm. Haridwar saw 15.9 mm, which is 94% above normal.
Pithoragarh received 15.7 mm, slightly below its normal of 17.1 mm.
Rudraprayag recorded 19.2 mm, a small increase from its usual 17.7 mm, while Udham Singh Nagar received 15.1 mm, which was 15% below normal.
Between 8:30 am and 3 pm on Monday, Kichha recorded 46 mm of rainfall, followed by Nainital at 23.5 mm. Bharsar received 15 mm, Pantnagar 13.5 mm, Banbasa 13 mm, Gular Bhoj 12.5 mm, Narendra Nagar 9.5 mm, New Tehri 8.5 mm, and both Rani Chauri and Kanatal received 8 mm each. Sahastradhara and Devidhura recorded 5.5 mm of rainfall each.
Director of Dehradun centre of IMD Bikram Singh said that rainfall variability across different regions is a normal feature of the monsoon season.
He added that an orange alert has been issued from July 8 to 10, with very heavy rain likely in isolated places in Nainital, Champawat, and Bageshwar districts on Tuesday....
To read the full article or to get the complete feed from this publication, please
Contact Us.