Kedarnath Cloudburst: 200 pilgrims trapped; Red alert across Uttarakhand

A cloudburst in Kedarnath on Wednesday night caused significant damage, leading to a sharp rise in the Mandakini River's water level in Sonprayag. Emergency services, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), district police, and local officials, have been placed on high alert following reports of the cloudburst in the Lincholi area. Authorities are particularly concerned that between 150 to 200 pilgrims may be stranded in Kedarnath, reported ABP.

The cloudburst triggered a landslide in the Bhim Bali stream along the Kedarnath walking path, damaging approximately 30 meters of the route. In response, the path has been temporarily closed for safety reasons. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far.

In Haridwar, heavy rainfall on Wednesday evening resulted in widespread flooding. The Kharkhari river overflowed, washing away vehicles and submerging several roads, including the one leading to the Kankhal police station. Areas like Bhupatwala, Haridwar, Naya Haridwar, Kankhal, and Jwalapur have been severely affected by the flooding.

The Regional Meteorological Center has issued a red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall across seven districts in Uttarakhand for the next 48 hours, starting from Tuesday night. The affected districts include Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, and Champawat. The alert warns of intense rain, thunderstorms, lightning, and other severe weather conditions.

Due to the adverse weather, schools in Dehradun, Nainital, and Udham Singh Nagar will remain closed on July 31. The Dehradun district administration has directed that all government and private schools, from grades 1 to 12, as well as anganwadi centers, be shut as a precautionary measure.

This is not the first time that schools in Dehradun have been closed due to weather warnings. On July 26, an orange alert for heavy rain issued by the National Disaster Management Authority led to the closure of all schools and anganwadi centers in the district. These measures are being taken to ensure the safety of students and prevent incidents like landslides during severe weather conditions.