M A I N   N E W S

60 die in Uttarakhand rains, Nainital cut off
Tribune News Service

Ganga flows 2m above danger mark Red alert sounded in state

Flood alert in Capital The flash flood scare is back to haunt Delhites after incessant rains battered the Capital today even as more water was released into the Yamuna from Hathnikund barrage. Low-lying areas have been alerted after 6,89,420 cusecs of water was discharged into Yamuna.

Dehradun/Nainital, September 19
More than 60 persons have lost their lives in various incidents of cloudburst, house collapse and floods as incessant rain continued to lash Uttarakhand over the past 48 hours.

The state has been at the receiving end for the past two months and a half, but the incessant rain since Friday night has wreaked havoc. More than 150 persons have lost their lives in various incidents since the onset of the monsoon.

The government has sounded red alert in the state and sought assistance of the Army, the Air Force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB) to help the civil administration in tackling the situation. The leaves of all state government employees have been cancelled.

Most of the rivers flowing through the hills are in spate and the Ganga is flowing around 2m above the danger mark. Flood warning has been issued in the Uttar Pradesh plains situated alongside the Ganga banks.

Almora district is the worst affected Dehradun has heaviest rainfall of 44 years Total death toll in the state this monsoon: 150

Most of the roads in the hills have been damaged, thereby affecting the supply of essential commodities to various areas. Power, water and telecommunication services have been badly affected throughout the state.

Almora district is the worst affected, where more than 33 persons have lost lives in rain-related incidents so far. More than 24 villages have been devastated. Thirteen persons were buried alive in their homes following a cloudburst at Badi village of Almora district. Hundreds of houses in the district have collapsed due to incessant rain over the past four days. The ITBP and Army personnel, along with state police jawans, had been looking for survivors and taking out bodies since last night.

Inclement weather hampered relief and rehabilitation work as rescue teams were not able to reach far-off places. According to state Disaster Relief Department, 33 persons have died in Almora district alone. In Nainital district, 13 deaths have been reported so far. Nine bodies have been recovered while four persons missing in the floods have been presumed dead.

The town of Nainital, which is also the administrative centre of Kumaon Division, stood cut off from the rest of the state as all roads leading to it were blocked on Sunday morning. Landslides led to the blocking of the Nainital-Haldwani, the Nainital-Bhawali and the Nainital-Kaladhungi roads as a result of which the supply of essential commodities to the town was badly hit.

The town continued to receive incessant rainfall since Saturday evening making the lives of the people difficult. A large portion of the city was still awaiting power supply even after more than 60 hours.

Eight deaths have been reported from Haridwar district, while three persons were killed at Lansdown in Pauri Garhwal, two died in Chamoli, one each was killed at Chinyalisaur and Naugan in Uttarkashi district.

The rail traffic between Dehradun and Haridwar has been cut off as a railway tunnel has got blocked due to a landslide. The water level in Tehri Lake has touched 827 m.

KP Singh, Executive Engineer in charge of the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department at Haridwar, said it was for the first time since 1928 that the Ganga had been flowing 2m above the danger mark. “A warning has been issued for areas situated on the banks of the river in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,” he said.

According to Dr Anand Sharma, Director, Meteorological Department, Dehradun city, the 44-year-old record of rainfall has been broken. In 1966, the city received 2,930 mm of rainfall. However, it has already crossed the 3,000-mm mark this year so far. There has been excessive rain in 10 out of 13 districts of the state.

The natural calamity has its political fallout also. Uttarakhand Chief Minister, who gave Cabinet rank to four of his ministers of state yesterday, has been criticised by the opposition Congress. Harak Singh Rawat, Leader of Opposition, blamed the state government for being insensitive to the condition of common people. “At a time of such a calamity, the BJP government has rewarded its ministers. It is cruel joke on the people of the state,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister cancelled a meeting of BJP legislators and asked them to visit their respective assembly segments. He also had a video conference with the District Magistrate, Almora, and instructed him to speed up the relief and rehabilitation work.

The state government has ordered the closure of all government, government-aided and private schools in the state till September 22, in the wake of unprecedented rain in the state.

Governor Margaret Alva has expressed concern over the disruption of normal life, loss of lives and property due to landslides and floods.