Kedarnath Cloudburst: 200 pilgrims stranded due to flooding, red alert in Uttarakhand

A cloudburst in Kedarnath has caused serious damage, leading to a sudden rise in the Mandakini River’s water level in Sonprayag on Wednesday night. Emergency services, including SDRF, district police, and local officials, are on high alert due to reports of the cloudburst in Lincholi. There are concerns that 150-200 pilgrims may be stranded in Kedarnath.

The cloudburst occurred in the Bhim Bali stream along the Kedarnath walking path, causing a landslide that damaged about 30 meters of the path. For safety reasons, the path has been temporarily closed. No casualties have been reported yet.

In Haridwar, heavy rain on Wednesday evening has led to widespread flooding. The overflow from the Kharkhari river has washed away vehicles and submerged several roads, including the Kankhal police station. Areas such as Bhupatwala, Haridwar, Naya Haridwar, Kankhal, and Jwalapur are heavily flooded.

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

Due to the heavy rain and risk of landslides, schools in Dehradun, Nainital, and Udham Singh Nagar will be closed on July 31. The Dehradun district administration has ordered that all government and private schools, from grades 1 to 12, and anganwadi centers remain shut.

Dehradun’s schools and anganwadi centers were also closed on July 26 because of an orange alert for heavy rain from the National Disaster Management Authority. This closure, affecting all schools for grades 1 to 12, aimed to ensure safety and prevent incidents like landslides during bad weather.