Cloudbursts damage houses, land at Kaflon, Barkot villages

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, July 27

Two incidents of cloudburst have been reported from Kaflon in the Assi Ganga valley and Barkot in the Yamnotri region following incessant rainfall since yesterday night.

Several hectares of irrigated fields and two cowsheds were damaged while several families were rendered homeless at Kaflon village.

Former BJP MLA Gopal Rawat was the first to rush to the site of destruction today morning. The villagers told him that they were yet to receive any relief from the government. Gopal lambasted Congress MLA Sajwan and said he had visited the village on July 7 where villagers had informed him about the imminent danger from the debris that had accumulated due to heavy rainfall. Sajwan had assured them of doing the needful but nothing had been done till date. Rawat said if no remedial measures were taken, the 14 families could be swept away in the next spell of rainfall.

In another incident, due to heavy rainfall the houses of Gokul Singh, Hardev Singh and Chatter Singh were swept away in Kot Ganga near Paligad on the Yamnotri highway.

However, no loss of life has been reported so far but the situation remains precarious as the land could subside in the affected areas with every passing rain casuing damage property and danger to life.

The Barkot SDM along with a team of the SDRF and the Police rushed to the spot and rescued the affected villagers.

The Yamnotri highway is shut for vehicular movement near Pali Gad. However, the district disaster management officer DS Patwal said all highways in the district had been opened for traffic.

The linking roads, such as one in Kaflon, which caved in would take time to rebuild.

One drowns in swollen Mandakini

Dehradun: A 25-year-old man was swept away by swirling waters of the Mandakini as light to moderate rainfall lashed many parts of the state on Wednesday. State’s Emergency Operation Centre said Manoj accidentally slipped into the river at around 1 PM in Rudraprayag district and efforts were underway to fish out his body. Three houses were washed away by heavy showers in Badkot area of Uttarkashi district with electricity and drinking water supply lines also getting affected throughout the district. Debris falling from hillside has obstructed many routes including Rishikesh-Kedarnath, Rishikesh-Gangotri and Rishikesh-Yamunotri National Highways which affected the ongoing Chardham yatra here. The Met department has predicted heavy rain at many places in the state over the next 24 hours. — PTI