A cloud-burst in Uttarakhand on Tuesday has caused havoc, sweeping away an entire village of six houses in the Darhal component in Uttarkashi district in the vicinity of Harsil town, where at least several people are feared missing. Uttarkashi Police claimed that instant flash floods were caused by the high water level of Kheer Gadh. A massive deployment of SDRF, police, army, and other disaster response teams was made to perform the relief and rescue operations in the affected area.
There were dramatic images of the scene that depicted houses and buildings washing away in the flowing waters. According to the reports filed by the locals, there was widespread devastation with 20-25 hotels and homestays destroyed in the region. 10-12 people could be buried under debris, with a villager, Rajesh Panwar, telling reporters that this has heightened the fear of casualties.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had already predicted the extraordinarily high rainfall in a few places of Uttarakhand on Tuesday when the state witnessed an ongoing downpour that is pounding the state throughout the monsoon. There have been flash floods and landslides due to torrential rains, which have badly affected daily life and transport systems. In another similar story, on Monday, a father and a mother who were waiting on the banks of the Bhakhra in Haldwani got swept away in heavy currents, while on Sunday, two men were overpowered in a swollen stream at Bhujiyaghat.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has instructed all the District Magistrates to remain on the ground, accompanied by teams, to deal with the crisis. He ordered blocked roads to be opened as a matter of priority and that basic amenities such as damaged drinking water and electricity lines be repaired immediately. Further, he insisted on creating alternative plans to address waterlogging and other crises due to excess rain.
Relief work is being undertaken, but the government has cautioned them to be more wary because more rainfall is expected to lash the area in the two days to come.
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