Rain fury in Uttarakhand: Cloudburst in Chamoli, 2,500 tourists stranded in Mussoorie, restoration work underway

Just four days after a cloudburst killed 13 people in Dehradun, a cloudburst struck Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. Five people remain unaccounted for after six buildings in Nanda Nagar were reduced to rubble. The state government has issued a red alert for Dehradun, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar, warning of extremely heavy rain and the risk of further fatalities, landslides, and infrastructure collapse until September 20.

Meanwhile, 2,500 tourists were stranded in Mussoorie after heavy rainfall and cloudbursts left the main road from Dehradun to the hill station closed for the second consecutive day.

The calamity in Mussoorie damaged more than ten roads and bridges – at least five severely – prompting police to urge visitors to remain in their accommodations. The Mussoorie Hotel Owners' Association responded by offering a complimentary night's stay to those forced to overstay. Authorities report that efforts to clear debris and restore infrastructure are proceeding urgently as the region faces the aftermath of a destructive monsoon season.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the focus is on the swift restoration of essential services. "Our effort is to repair the damaged infrastructure and restore road and power connectivity at the earliest," Dhami said, noting that 85 per cent of damaged power lines have been restored and the rest will be done soon. He stated that about 1,000 stranded people have already been rescued.

In response to the disrupted Dehradun-Mussoorie route, emergency teams are installing a Bailey bridge at Kolhukhet to enable movement of light vehicles and help clear debris. "Debris has been partially cleared from two points along the route, but installation of an alternative bridge at Kolhukhet may take a little more time," a police officer in Mussoorie said.

Besides Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh also experienced flash floods and landslides after heavy rain this week. Three people died due to these rain-triggered disasters.

The monsoon's intensity has led to widespread destruction in the Himalayan region, with more than 1,500 families rendered homeless and a recorded loss of Rs 4,582 crore in Himachal Pradesh alone. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated, "Under the Special Relief Package, the state government is providing Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 as rent in urban and rural areas for those rendered homeless during the disaster."

Officials across affected states have been instructed to restore road connectivity, electricity, water supply, and other essentials as swiftly as possible.