Uttarakhand: Alaknanda, Bhagirathi rivers swell amid heavy rainfall

Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) [India], August 23 (ANI): Due to continuous rainfall in the high Himalayan regions, the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers were seen flowing above the danger mark on Saturday, prompting officials to warn the residents staying near the river banks and urge them to exercise caution.
Visuals shared by the Uttarakhand Department of Information and Public Relations on X showed the river's water flowing just a few feet away from people's doorsteps, as the high currents wash away the dirt, and any loose debris coming in contact with it.
Meanwhile, a cloudburst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district has wreaked havoc in the region, with multiple houses and shops being filled with sludge due to heavy rainfall. The Indian Army's Infantry battalion promptly responded to the devastation, with 50 personnel being deployed from Rudraprayag to assist in relief operations.
Preliminary reports indicate damage to houses and vehicles in the affected area. One young girl has been reported missing. Earlier, the district administration had forwarded a written requisition to the Army for assistance.
In the aftermath of the disaster, District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari is personally present at the site, overseeing the operations. Teams from NDRF, SDRF, and police forces are carrying out relief and rescue operations, and the road near Harmani has been made operational, said the state's DIPR.
In view of the heavy rainfall, a holiday has been declared today for all schools in the Tharali, Deval, and Narayanbagar development blocks. The administration has appealed to the public to stay in safe places and contact the local administration in case of any emergency.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami spoke to the public representatives of Chamoli district over the phone and took detailed information about the damage caused by the cloudburst. According to a press statement released from the Chief Minister's office, expressing deep grief over the disaster, the CM has requested all the public representatives to cooperate with the district administration in relief and rescue operations.
Along with this, he also spoke to the local MLA and expected him to stay on the spot and physically inspect the relief and rescue operations.
Uttarakhand Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman also reviewed the disaster situation in the state, keeping track of the rescue and relief operations in Tharali's Chamoli and the operations to open up the temporary lake formed at Syanchatti in Uttarkashi.
Alaknanda and Bhagirathi are the headstreams of the Ganga River. Both the streams join to form the Ganga at Devprayag's Garhwal region in the state. Originating from the 'Gaumukh' in the Gangotri glacier, the river starts over 13,000 feet in the Himalayas before ending at the Bay of Bengal. (ANI)