Uttarakhand: Heavy rain breaks glacier in Chamoli, washes away parts of Badrinath highway

Written By DNA Web Team | Updated: May 20, 2021, 03:11 PM IST

Heavy rains lashed the Chamoli district in Uttarakhand washing way 50 metres of the Badrinath National Highway (NH-7).

A glacier has slipped from the hill near the army helipad at Mana in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on Thursday. Heavy rains also lashed the Chamoli district washing way 50 metres of the Badrinath National Highway (NH-7). A cargo truck in Lambagad has been hit by landslides. The administration has sent SDRF disaster management and police to the spot.

Meanwhile, at least one person died and four went missing after the cloud burst in Birnad area of Chakrata town in Dehradun district. The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) has retrieved one body, while the search for missing persons is still underway. 

"Body of one person retrieved, search for the missing persons underway in Birnad, following a cloudburst in the area", SDRF said.

The meteorological department has also issued a red alert for heavy rains in Uttarakhand for the next 24 hours. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday said "heavy to very heavy" rainfall is expected at isolated places of Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Dehradun, Tehri, Nainital, Rudraprayag and Pithoragarh districts of the state. 

Gusty winds with speed of 30-40 kmph are also expected in isolated places in the plains of the state, the Met bulletin from Dehradun said.

The 24-hour long red alert advisory began from Wednesday night. Since yesterday, many parts of the state has seen continuing rainfall. The capital city Dehradun, along with Mussoorie, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Roorkee, and Kumaon division has experienced continuous rains.

Snowfall has also been reported in the higher regions of the state. 

An increase in the water level of river Alaknanda was also reported on Wednesday before the rains started. Active remnants of the cyclone Tauktae have been attributed as the cause of the rains. 

(With ANI inputs)