Uttarakhand: Badrinath highway between Srinagar and Rudraprayag submerged; cloudburst causes extensive damage, rescue underway

Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) [India], August 29 (ANI): The Badrinath highway between Srinagar and Rudraprayag has been completely submerged by the Alaknanda River, causing a total blockade of traffic along the route.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pauri, Lokeshwar Singh, told ANI, "Traffic has been stopped at safe places. Arrangements are being made to send the pilgrims forward through alternative routes. Police has been deployed for security purposes."
Meanwhile, The District Administration of Rudraprayag has confirmed extensive damage following a cloudburst in the Badeth Dungar Tok area of Basukedaar tehsil. Relief and rescue operations are underway on a war footing to aid affected communities.
According to the district administration relief and rescue operations are being conducted on a war footing by the district administration in the affected areas.
District Magistrate Rudraprayag Prateek Jain is constantly in touch with the officials from the disaster control room and action is being taken to deploy district level officers in the affected areas.
The District Magistrate has given necessary guidelines to conduct rescue operations effectively.
Under the chairmanship of the District Magistrate, all the district level officers are continuously working in coordination with each other in the District Disaster Control Room.
Different teams from National Highway (NH), Public Works Department (PWD), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) are engaged in opening the way in the affected areas. Relief and rescue teams are being sent by identifying alternative routes to reach the affected areas. Various officers from the district level have been sent to the affected villages along with the concerned Revenue Inspector and other personnel for immediate action.
Damage reports include one house damaged and a vehicle (Bolero) washed away in Syur, water and debris flow affecting Badeth, Bagaddhar, and Taljaman villages, and agricultural land covered by large boulders and debris in Kimana. Additionally, a fish pond and poultry farm have been destroyed in Arkhund, while the Chenagad market area suffered debris deposits and vehicle losses.
According to the District Administration, there are reports of missing persons in Chhenagad Dugar and Joula Badeth villages.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, and the revenue department are actively conducting rescue operations and ensuring the swift evacuation and assistance of affected people to safe locations. (ANI)