Uttarakhand: Yamunotri, Badrinath roads blocked due to falling debris

Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) [India]: The Yamunotri Highway number 123 was blocked on Saturday due to falling debris near Chami village in Pauri Tehsil of Garhwal District in Uttarakhand as the monsoon fury continued over the northwestern Himalayan region, officials said.

As per officials, dozens of vehicles were left stuck on both sides of the road. District disaster management officer, Uttarkashi, Devendra Patwal, said that the Yamunotri Highway 123 was blocked due to heavy debris near Chami.

“National Highway’s JCB has left for the spot. Dozens of vehicles are stuck in the jam on both sides of the road,” the official further added.

Similarly, Badrinath National Highway was also blocked near Pagal Nala, Pipaloti due to debris falling off at many places.

As the monsoon fury continued over the northwestern Himalayan region, several roads were blocked and scores of people were stuck and stranded due to landslides.

The flood rescue operation by the National Disaster Response Force continues in the flood-affected areas of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Delhi, where torrential rainfall and the release of water from barrages have resulted in unprecedented floods, an official statement said on late Friday evening.

58 NDRF teams have been deployed in flood-affected States for rescue and relief work in coordination with State administrations. 16 teams of the NDRF have been deployed in Delhi, 11 teams in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand each, and 10 teams in Punjab and Haryana.

Till now, NDRF teams have rescued 1423 people from difficult areas and evacuated 4404 others to safer places in Delhi. Besides, NDRF teams are conducting regular rescue/ evacuation operations in flood-prone areas in other States also, officials informed earlier.