Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 23 : The cloudburst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli has caused extensive damage to houses and shops after heavy rainfall made sludge flow down to the Tharali area.
State's Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said on Saturday that one woman has been trapped under debris and another man is missing since the rainfall started.
Uttarakhand's monsoon has affected multiple districts in the state, with multiple roads being closed n Pithoragarh too.
In the Syanachatti area of Uttarkashi district, restoration work for the bridge, which got submerged due to the rising water level of the Yamuna, has almost been completed. Efforts are underway to rescue the woman and find the missing person, with officials transporting people to safe locations, and both NDRF and SDRF teams dispatched for rescue and relief operations.
"Last night in Tharali, Chamoli, around 1- 1:30 am, there was excessive rainfall, as a result of which, a lot of sludge flowed down, damaging two houses. The sludge has entered 10-12 houses. In the upper part of Tharali, 10-12 shops have come in contact with sludge. One person has gone missing, and one woman is trapped under the debris," Kumar Suman told ANI.
Restoration work has been ongoing in affected places in Chamoli too; however, the District Magistrate has been delayed in reaching the disaster-affected areas due to the closure of roads, the Disaster Management Secretary informed.
"Last night, there was a cloud burst incident in Tharali, causing widespread damage to Tharali and the surrounding areas. A woman has been trapped in the debris of her house, and a man has gone missing. There has been a huge loss of property. Administration and other teams are at the spot, and clearance and rescue work is underway," Chamoli DM Sandeep Tiwari said in a self-made video.
In Pithoragah, Thal - Munsyari (State Highway), Munsyari - Milam (Border) route, Dharchula - Tawaghat (National Highway Border), and Ramganga - Thal - Munsyari (NH Border) route have been closed at multiple locations after heavy rainfall caused debris and rocks to block the road.
On the restoration work in the Syanachatti area, Uttarkashi DM Prashant Arya said that traffic on the route will be resumed soon as the work to open up the temporary lake has "yielded positive results," with the water level being reduced by 12 feet.
"My whole team is here in Syanachatti, and our efforts yesterday have yielded positive results today. This area was in the lake yesterday, and today the water level has reduced by 12 feet, and the river has a proper channel now. The bridge is also safe. Cleanliness is underway, and traffic movement will begin soon," the Uttarkashi DM said.
A cloudburst struck the Tharali area of Chamoli district late on Friday night, prompting immediate relief and rescue operations by the district administration, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and police teams.
Confirming the incident, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on X, "Late last night, a tragic report of a cloudburst was received in the Tharali area of Chamoli district. The district administration, SDRF, and police have reached the spot and are engaged in relief and rescue operations. In this regard, I am in constant contact with the local administration and am personally closely monitoring the situation. I pray to God for everyone's safety."
The India Meteorological Department, on Friday, issued an orange alert for Uttarakhand, forecasting thunderstorms/lightning and very intense rain at different parts of the state. The alert remains in effect till Saturday afternoon.