Cloudbursts Devastate Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag and Chamoli, Stranding Families as Rivers Overflow

Cloudbursts hit Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts on the night of August 28 that left several families trapped and caused multiple injuries.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami wrote in a post on X that the debris flows have blocked several areas and left many stranded. Rescue and relief operations took place through the night.

“A distressing report has been received that due to cloudbursts in the Bareth Dungar Tok area under the Buskedar tesil of Rudraprayag district and in the Deval area of Chamoli district, some families have been trapped due to debris flow,” Dhami wrote in a post on X.

“Relief and rescue operations are underway at a war footing by the local administration; in this regard, I am in constant contact with the officials and have necessary instructions to the Disaster Secretary and District Magistrates to ensure theeffective conduct of rescue operations. I pray to Baba Kedar for the safe well-being of all,” he added further.

Rivers Rising Beyond Control

According to HT, the cloudbursts hit Bareth Dungar Tok area of Rudraprayag and the Deval area of Chamoli district. Both districts’ rivers are overflowing and the water levels are getting dangerously high.  The water levels of the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers in Rudraprayag have increased exponentially due to the heavy rainfall. The movement of vehicles has been stopped in the surrounding areas. A video shared by the Rudraprayag Police showed a SUV stuck in the debris, boulders obstructing the roads and massive flow of water in the rivers.

Water levels in rivers in Chamoli have touched dangerous levels and people with homes near the rivers have been asked to evacuate.

The Chamoli Police wrote in a post on X, “All people living in houses built along the riverbanks, please move to safe locations immediately.” Due to the rise in levels of Alaknanda, the water has flown onto roads, completely blocking the Badrinath highway between Srinagar and Rudraprayag.

In addition to alerts, traffic has also been halted at safe places with arrangements being made to send pilgrims forward through different routes. Police has been deployed for security purposes.

This is the second cloudburst to hit Uttarakhand this week. Earlier this month, heavy rains in Chamoli buried parts of the Tharali market and tehsil complex under debris. The cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Dharali on August 5 triggered a search for over 100 missing people in the subsequent days. Despite the recent restoration of road connectivity between Uttarkashi and Harsil, the Gangotri pilgrimage is still on hold.