In the district of Uttarkashi, located in the hilly state of Uttarakhand, the Naugaon Bazaar area adjacent to the Yamunotri National Highway witnessed widespread devastation on Saturday due to torrential rain. Sudden floodwaters raised the level of local streams (small water channels), flooding residential areas with debris. A residential building was completely buried under the debris, while over half a dozen homes and shops got inundated. A mixer machine and several two-wheelers were washed away by floodwaters, while a car was trapped beneath the debris.
As conditions worsened, residents evacuated their homes for safer locations. Local administration and disaster management teams are actively engaged in relief and rescue operations. The creek flowing through Naugaon surged due to heavy rains, flooding many shops and homes, and sweeping away parked vehicles on roads. Although the SDRF has initiated a search operation following the incident in Naugaon, efforts are still ongoing.
District Magistrate Prashant Arya reported that heavy rains occurred Saturday evening in the Syori Phal Patti region, leading to surging in the Dewalsari streams, which carried debris into lower areas. The incident also forced the closure of the Delhi-Yamunotri highway, resulting in traffic chaos.
Source: aajtak
Watch the devastation VIDEO here...
Guidelines issued by CM Dhami
In response, Uttarakhand's Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami promptly engaged with district authorities through social media platform X, directing that relief and rescue efforts be conducted on a priority basis upon receiving news of damage in Naugaon, Uttarkashi. District administration, SDRF, and NDRF teams have set off towards the affected zone. Explicit instructions were issued to ensure that those affected are not only reached safely to secure locations but also receive all necessary aid without delay.
Source: aajtak
Central team to assess natural disaster damages
On another note, Uttarakhand, a state persistently afflicted by natural disasters this monsoon season, is set to receive a seven-member Inter-Ministerial Central Team on September 8th for a thorough damage assessment. According to PTI, Secretary of State Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Vinod Kumar Suman announced a meeting with the central team scheduled in Dehradun on the same day. The inspection will be led by R. Prasanna, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, and will mark the initiation of a post-disaster need assessment (PDNA) to accurately quantify inflicted damages.
Heaviest Rainfall since 2010
During this year’s monsoon, Uttarakhand was drenched with 574 mm of rainfall, with Vinod Kumar Suman marking it as the highest since 2010. The intense rainfall brought substantial harm to lives and property within the state. The central team plans to visit locations including Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Pauri, Bageshwar, and Nainital. Further, the state government is seeking a special financial package of Rs 5702.15 crore from the center to compensate for the disaster's impact and fortify future infrastructure.
CM Dhami inaugurates modern disaster management sirens
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated 13 long-range modern sirens on Saturday at Dehradun’s Dalanwala police station campus. He emphasized the necessity for timely warnings in response to Uttarakhand's disaster-prone status, stating that these sirens could range from 8 to 16 kilometers, strengthening pre-disaster alert systems and aiding in civilian safety. He advised regular testing of these systems and raising public awareness for their optimum utilization during emergencies.
