Met issues heavy rain alert for three days

Tribune news service

Dehradun, August 1

Another spell of heavy rains awaits Uttarakhand with Met department issuing an alert for likely occurrence of heavy to very heavy rains at isolated places in Uttarakhand for August 3, 4 and 5.

While issuing alert, the Met department has also not ruled out occurrence of thunder storm and cloudburst on these three days. Further, the Met officials have also put Aug 2 on Watch category forecasting heavy rains for Kumaon even in the next 24 hours.

Following the alert, Uttarkhand State Emergency Operation Centre of Department of Disaster Management has also issued a 15-point advisory to all the district magistrates on do’s and don’ts in the backdrop of heavy rain alert in the state. It has asked them to put district administrative machinery on caution mode to meet any exigency that may arise due to heavy rains. 

Police have been asked to be on alert. It has also advised that night travel must be completely banned in hills barring army vehicles and in emergency cases.

Due to landslides Kapkot-Pandari road continued to be blocked and is expected to be opened only by mid-August. Rishikesh-Kedarnath highway is also blocked due to landslides between Bhiri and Basawada areas. 

Rivers too continued to be swollen. Gori river in Pithoragarh district of Kumaon had reached 604.80 m mark, which is nearly a meter short of reaching the danger mark. Similarly, water levels in Kali and Saryu rivers in the same district had reached 888.70 m and 447.10 m mark, respectively. 

The water level in Sharda river in Champawat district reached 291.45 m mark. Water levels in Alaknanda river in Rudraprayag had reached 622.15 meters mark. Further, water level at Ganga river in Haridwar had reached 292.30 meters mark.

Taking into heavy rains alert forecast, Dehradun District Magistrate SA Murugeshan has directed all the sub divisional magistrates, revenue inspectors and other officials to be cautious. He has also directed that those residing along the river banks and other water bodies must be shifted at safer places.