Heavy rains, which began on Friday, lashed most parts of Uttarakhand throughout Saturday throwing daily life out of gear. The state Met office said that the rain activity will continue at least till Sunday evening and issued an alert of heavy to very heavy rainfall at few places.
Haldwani in Nainital district received the highest rainfall in the state (100mm) during the last 24-hours, closely followed by Mussoorie which witnessed 96mm rain. Srinagar in Pauri district and Someshwar in Almora district received 88mm rain each. The state capital Dehradun, which had been experiencing incessant showers since Friday, recorded 74.8mm rainfall.
The rains also triggered recurring landslides which blocked National Highways leading to the Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines. The Rishikesh-Badrinath highway (NH 58) was blocked at Lambagad and Kanchan Gana in Chamoli district while the Rishikesh-Kedarnath (NH 109) highway was blocked between Sonprayag and Gaurikund. Pilgrims going to Badrinath were temporarily stopped at different places in Chamoli district due to road blockades. However, they were allowed to go ahead once the blocked roads were cleared. According to officials, pilgrims en route to Kedarnath were not stopped.
The rains also led to a rise in the water level of major rivers in Uttarakhand including Ganga at Haridwar, sparking fear of floods in the low-lying areas of the state. As per a bulletin issued by the State Disaster Management Centre at 5pm on Saturday, the Ganga at Haridwar was flowing at 293.5 metres just 0.5 metres below the danger level of 294 metres.
Haldwani in Nainital district received the highest rainfall in the state (100mm) during the last 24-hours, closely followed by Mussoorie which witnessed 96mm rain. Srinagar in Pauri district and Someshwar in Almora district received 88mm rain each. The state capital Dehradun, which had been experiencing incessant showers since Friday, recorded 74.8mm rainfall.
The rains also triggered recurring landslides which blocked National Highways leading to the Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines. The Rishikesh-Badrinath highway (NH 58) was blocked at Lambagad and Kanchan Gana in Chamoli district while the Rishikesh-Kedarnath (NH 109) highway was blocked between Sonprayag and Gaurikund. Pilgrims going to Badrinath were temporarily stopped at different places in Chamoli district due to road blockades. However, they were allowed to go ahead once the blocked roads were cleared. According to officials, pilgrims en route to Kedarnath were not stopped.
The rains also led to a rise in the water level of major rivers in Uttarakhand including Ganga at Haridwar, sparking fear of floods in the low-lying areas of the state. As per a bulletin issued by the State Disaster Management Centre at 5pm on Saturday, the Ganga at Haridwar was flowing at 293.5 metres just 0.5 metres below the danger level of 294 metres.