Uttarakhand Monsoon Havoc: Three Dead, Hundreds Stranded as Rains Trigger Chaos

Torrential rains lashed Uttarakhand for the third consecutive day on Monday, claiming three lives and severely disrupting normal life across multiple districts. The relentless downpour, driven by a depression over northwest Uttar Pradesh, has triggered landslides, flooded roads, and swollen rivers, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in Nainital, Champawat, Bageshwar, Udham Singh Nagar, Pauri, and Dehradun through Tuesday. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami urged district magistrates to remain on “ground zero” to manage the crisis, as rescue operations intensified with NDRF and SDRF teams deployed statewide.

The fatalities included one person swept away by the Bhakhra stream near Haldwani on Monday and two others who drowned in a swollen stream near Bhujiyaghat on Haldwani road on Sunday, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). In Rudraprayag, a landslide buried two shops under boulders and debris overnight, while flood-like conditions in Udham Singh Nagar submerged Indra Colony and villages like Chakarpur, Lakhanpur, Muriya Pistor, and Barhaini due to the overflowing Levda River and its tributaries. Over 100 roads, including sections of the Badrinath National Highway, remain blocked, with Chamoli Police halting travelers at safe points due to recurring landslides.

Dehradun, battered by continuous rains, saw schools and anganwadi centers closed on Monday, with waterlogging paralyzing roads and homes. Major rivers, including the Ganga in Haridwar and the Kali in Champawat, are flowing near or above danger levels, raising fears of urban flooding akin to Delhi’s 2023 Yamuna crisis, where levels hit 208.66 meters. The IMD reported 105 mm of rainfall in Dhari and 97 mm in Kaladhungi over the past 24 hours, with forecasts warning of intense convection and gusty winds through August 5. Dhami, in a virtual meeting, ordered rapid crop damage assessments and preemptive measures against waterlogging, emphasizing, “The safety of residents and pilgrims is our priority.”

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This monsoon season has been brutal for Uttarakhand, with 21 deaths and nine missing since June 1, 2025, per SEOC data, including 169 fatalities during the ongoing Chardham Yatra, particularly in Kedarnath (78) and Badrinath (44). Social media on X, under hashtags like #UttarakhandRains and #MonsoonCrisis, reflects public anxiety, with posts urging better infrastructure and early warning systems. Users referenced past disasters, like the 2013 Kedarnath floods that killed over 6,000, calling for climate-resilient measures. The state’s vulnerability, exacerbated by climate-driven extreme weather, underscores the need for robust disaster management as the monsoon intensifies.

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