Uttarakhand: No adverse weather expected on Feb 7-8, says IMD

 In relief for Uttarakhand, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said that no adverse weather is expected in the next two days in Tapovan and Joshimath in the hill state`s Chamoli district where a sudden flash flood has created huge havoc.

The Joshimath area witnessed a massive flood due to the water level in Dhauliganga river suddenly surging on Sunday morning, following by an avalanche near a power project at Reni village of Chamoli.

"Dry weather is likely to prevail over Uttarakhand on 7th and 8h February 2021. However, under influence of Western Disturbances, light rainfall or snowfall is likely over the northern part of Uttarakhand during evening of 9th Feb to 10th Feb," the IMD said in a statement.

"No rainfall or snowfall likely, mainly dry weather will prevail" for Chamoli, Tapovan and Joshimath, it said.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat took to Twitter on Sunday to explain the chain of events which resulted in the disaster and the devastation which followed.

"The incident was reported near Reni village, 26 km from Joshimath. The Dhauliganga river got flooded and washed away many houses situated on the river banks."

Rawat said that the flow from the Tehri dam was stopped to facilitate smooth passage of rising waters on Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda. All the villages and low-lying areas on the banks were vacated and water flow from Srinagar dam was increased to manage higher water flows due to the disaster.

"Currently no additional water flows are being reported and there is no flood situation anywhere. Water from the affected site has reached beyond Nandprayag and river was flowing 1 metre above normal levels. No loss has been reported from villages along the Alaknanda," the Chief Minister said.