Uttarakhand Floods: Heavy rains, flooding kill 16; IMD says rainfall to reduce

Uttarakhand floods: The death toll has reached 16 as of October 19 in Uttarakhand which has been struck by incessant rains, landslides, cloudburst, and flooding for the third consecutive day. The Ramgarh area of the Nainital district reported a cloudburst while the Naini Lake is reported to be overflowing and gushing through the streets in the state. All three roads leading to the hill station have been blocked due to landslides.

Several houses and an under-construction bridge got washed away over the raging Chalthi river in Champawat. Several people including labourers from Nepal died after rubble flowing down from a field due to rains fell on them.

Uttarakhand Floods and Rains: Top 10 Updates

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami conducts aerial survey

(i) Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami after reaching Rudraprayag conducted an aerial survey to assess the losses in the areas affected due to heavy rainfall. Gujarat

(ii) CM Bhupendra Patel also spoke with Dhami to inform that around 100 pilgrims from Gujarat were going on Char Dham Yatra and that they might be stuck in Uttarakhand. PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have been briefed on the Uttarakhand situation.

I am visiting the rain-affected areas. Govt putting in all efforts to rescue locals, tourists. PM also extended help, got 3 Air Force helicopters. Weather department has predicted that situation will be better by evening: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami during an aerial survey pic.twitter.com/sTwPqoEAWz

— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2021

IMD issues red alert, very heavy rainfall warning

(iii) The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has informed the possibility of a significant reduction in rainfall activity over Uttarakhand from October 19 onwards.

(iv) The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on October 18, 2021, had issued a red alert for Uttarakhand with a weather forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall.

Railway damage, Nainital cut off, Char Dham cancelled due to landslide, heavy rains

(v) All the trains to Haldwani have been halted as the rail route connecting the last station in Kumaon region Kathgodam railway state got damaged due to landslide and incessant rains.

(vi) Due to a series of landslides, Nainital has been cut off from the rest of Uttarakhand. All three roads leading to the hill station also got blocked due to the debris from landslides.

(vii) The Chardham Devasthanam Board has stopped the Char Dham Yatra after the Uttarakhand meteorological department issued heavy rain alert for October 17 to 19.

#WATCH | A portion of the railway line connecting Kathgodam and Delhi near Gaula river in Uttarakhand's Haldwani was damaged earlier today amid heavy rainfall in the region. pic.twitter.com/onYhSwhdlK

— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2021

SDRF and NDRF teams conducting rescue and relief work

(viii) Three Air Force helicopters have also been deployed for the rescue and relief work. Two of these are deployed in Nainital and one is deployed in the Garhwal region.

(ix) The Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has rescued 22 devotees who were stuck at Jungle Chatti in Uttarakhand. In overnight rescue operations, the SDRF has overall rescued more than 50 people including 22 devotees, 4 labourers, and many vehicles.

(x) National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 10 teams across several districts of Uttarakhand. One team each is deployed in Haridwar, Pithoragarh, Almora, Dehradun while two teams each are deployed in Uttarkashi, Gadapur, and Chamoli.

#UttarakhandRains Update
19/10/21
🔸Hvy rains in Uttarakhand
🔸Flooding at places
🔸10 tms of @NDRFHQ depld
🔸Day & nt Ops ON
🔸citizens evacuated safely
🔸#NDRF in action-Rudrapur town👇@HMOIndia @PMOIndia @BhallaAjay26 @PIBHomeAffairs @PIBDehradun @ANI @DDNewsHindi pic.twitter.com/jBD6FU0ASX

— ѕαtчα prαdhαnसत्य नारायण प्रधान ସତ୍ୟ ପ୍ରଧାନ (@satyaprad1) October 19, 2021