A massive amount of sand, illegally extracted and stockpiled near the Sonali River in Odisha's Kaptipada, was seized by a joint team of officials from the Mining Department, Tahasildar, and Police, officials said on Saturday.
As per SDRF officials, nine days of constant rain in Uttarakhand's hilly and plain regions caused the rivers' water levels to rise, subsequently, the SDRF personnel have been instructed to maintain a high degree of alertness.
The Chief Minister also gave instructions to prepare a flood management plan for effective prevention of water logging due to Sonali and other rivers in Laksar area.
"The Sonali river flowing through dozens of villages of Laksar swelled. As a result the Sonali River dam broke down near Kuan Kheda village. As soon as the dam broke, the water of the river started flowing on the other side," officials said.