Road blockades increase due to incessant rains in the month of May in Uttarakhand

BD Kasniyal/Ajay Ramola

GG News Bureau

Pithoragarh/ Dehradun, 22nd May. The record-breaking rains experienced during May have put the normal life out of gear in Uttarakhand. The record-breaking rains in the state in both Kumaon and Garhwal region caused by the storm has resulted in several incidents of cloud burst, mudslides and road blockades adding to the woes of the people already suffering from the Lockdown curfew imposed in the state.
At Pithoragarh major roads incurred damage due to the mudslides cutting off the links of the people from their respective villages.
An average of 35 mm of rain in the district, caused road blockage blocks on the roads leading to Indo-china Border towns of Dharchula and Munsiyari. Several wooden bridges on Gori, Kali and Ramganga River were swept away making life difficult for the villagers said the district administration officials.
According to the officials, over 1290 villagers from the villages were cut off from the main road as two wooden bridges on the Gori river were swept away by the floods caused by heavy rains.
“We had also sounded alert for the people living in riverside settlements of Dharchula tehsil as the excess water from Chirkila Dam being operated NHPC had to be released due to overflowing,” said RD Paliwal, the weather cell in charge of the district. According to sources in Champawat district, the rains caused waterlogging in Tanakpur town and blocked Tanakpur Pithoragarh highway for several hours.”
We had to conduct a special operation to take out waters that had entered into houses of Manihargoth locality of Tanakpur town.” said Ayesha Khatoon, chairperson of Tanakpur Nagar Palika Parishad.
The water level of river Sharda in Tanakpur had increased to 7489 cusecs on Thursday evening. “the situation arose after the rains that were measured at 66 mm in the areas for the first time in May, this year.” said Sanjay Singh a UP irrigation officer at Sharda headworks Banbasa in Champawat district.

The Garhwal region also has witnessed its share of disasters due to heavy rains triggered by the storms. The cloud burst due to incessant rains led to severe damage in a village at Chakrata killing a few and injuring several others. The cloud-burst incident at Devprayag resulted in the destruction of several buildings causing immense misery to the people. The road to Badrinath also suffered damage as the mudslide due to heavy rains blocked the vehicular movement near Lam Bagad in Chamoli district two days back.
According to weather department sources in the Nainital district, the 85 mm rains in the district in May, has a broken record of May 10, 1916, when it had rained at 71.4mm, maximum in the last 200 years.
According to NH sources from Lohaghat, the Champawat district has received a total of 772 mm of rains to date this year, which is more than the average rains poured during monsoon months last year.
As a result of cyclone Tauktae that has waned out now, the state experienced heavy rains and with another cyclone, Yaas is developing in the Bay of Bengal that could bring more rains thus adding to the woes of the people in Uttarakhand. The probability that these storms could affect the flow of the Monsoon has found no takers amid the scientist weather scientist so far. MET department scientist Rohit Thapliyal said that the storms have no direct relationship with the Monsoon. “The cyclonic storms in May and November are normal and it has no bearing on the course of Monsoon”, said Rohit Thapliyal.
The southwest monsoon, which brings nearly 75 per cent of the country’s rainfall, is expected to be normal this year and the Long Period Average will be 98 per cent with an error margin of plus and minus 5 per cent, said Rohit Thapliyal. The Monsoon is likely to hit Kerala on 31st May, he added.
Light to moderate rain/thunderstorm/snowfall likely to occur at isolated places in Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwarand Pithoragarh district Uttarakhand. Dry weather likely to prevail in the plains of Uttarakhand on Saturday.
According to the MET forecast Very light to light rain/thunderstorm/snowfall likely to occur at isolated places in Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand while dry weather likely to prevail in the remaining districts of Uttarakhand from 22nd May to 24th May and the situation will improve on 25th and 26th May with Dry weather likely to prevail in Uttarakhand.