Dehradun: Predicting extremely heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next two days, the Meteorological Centre has issued red and orange alerts for most districts of Uttarakhand. Following the warning, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday directed officials to remain on high alert round the clock.
A red alert has been sounded for Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, and Haridwar on Monday, warning of extremely heavy rain at some locations and heavy to very heavy rainfall at others. For September 2, the Met office has issued an orange alert for Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, and Bageshwar, forecasting heavy to very heavy showers.
In view of the weather warnings, schools have been closed in several districts, including Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, and Champawat.
Chairing a review meeting with senior officials, CM Dhami described the coming days as “challenging” and instructed authorities to take all necessary steps to ensure public safety. He asked State Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman to monitor the situation from the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), citing the heightened risk of landslides and waterlogging.
The CM also took stock of ongoing relief and rescue efforts in disaster-affected areas and directed the commissioners of both Garhwal and Kumaon divisions to expedite rehabilitation work. He further instructed officials to keep a strict vigil on river water levels, with round-the-clock monitoring.
Meanwhile, rain-related tragedies have already claimed lives. In Tehri district, two youths, including a woman, died on Sunday after being struck by falling stones while traveling on a two-wheeler along the Rishikesh–Gangotri National Highway near Narendranagar. The victims were identified as Ankit Jain (25) from Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajni Rawat from Kotdwar, Pauri.
According to the SEOC, the body of Ramesh Ram, who went missing on Saturday evening in the Munsiyari area of Pithoragarh, was found near Leti Chalthi Barsaati Nala in Kotalgaon. In another incident, a body was recovered from the debris of houses damaged in a landslide in Pausari village, Bageshwar, on Friday. Two people are still missing from that incident.
