A powerful cloudburst struck the Dharali area near Harsil in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district on Tuesday, sweeping away a village and leaving several people missing, officials said.
The sudden rise in water levels, particularly in Kheer Gadh near Dharali, caused extensive damage in the local market area. The Uttarakhand Police confirmed that rescue and relief efforts are underway with teams from the police, fire department, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and Indian Army deployed at the site.
“Due to rising water levels in Kheer Gadh, reports of damage have been received in the Dharali market area. Police, Fire department, SDRF, Army, and other rescue teams are engaged in operations,” the police said in an advisory. Residents have been urged to avoid riverbanks and ensure the safety of children and livestock.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep concern over the situation and said that all agencies are working on a war footing.
“The news of heavy damage caused by a cloudburst in the Dharali region is extremely distressing. SDRF, NDRF, and the district administration are carrying out relief and rescue operations urgently,” Dhami said on X, adding that he is in constant touch with senior officials.
Though an official death toll has not yet been confirmed, search operations for the missing are ongoing.
A day before the incident, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a warning for “extremely heavy rainfall” in several parts of Uttarakhand, including Uttarkashi, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri, and Chamoli, from August 4.
In response to the forecast, the Dehradun district administration had ordered the closure of schools up to Class 12 and all Anganwadi centres on August 4. The Chief Minister also held a virtual meeting with District Magistrates of all 13 districts to assess preparedness and review developmental activities amid the alerts.
-IANS