Uttarakhand: Landslide blocks Balwakot-Dharchula road, restoration work underway

Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand) [India]: Amid continuous rainfall, Balwakot-Dharchula road in Dharchula near the border area of the Pithoragarh district was blocked on Sunday following a landslide, a senior official said.

The landslide also damaged the mobile and power poles on the 200-metre road, affecting mobile and electricity nerwork in the region, he said. Dharchula’s Joint Magistrate, Divesh Shashani, has ordered the company concerned to carry out the road restoration work on an immediate basis.

In addition, the administration also appealed to people to travel only after contacting disaster control department.

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 Yamunotri Highway number 123 was also blocked on Saturday due to falling debris near Chami village in Pauri Tehsil of Garhwal District in Uttarakhand. As per officials, dozens of vehicles were left stuck on both sides of the road.

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

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.