69 roads shut in Uttarakhand as monsoon rain triggers landslides

AT to the lowest degree 69 roadstead in Uttarakhand has been unopen due to relentless monsoon rain down in the say that has triggered landslides, road blockages, river swelling and infrastructure damage across several districts, officials said on Sunday.According to the Public Works Department (PWD), of the 202 roads under observation across the state till 4.30pm on Sunday, 120 had been reopened, 13 were partially operational and 69 remained completely closed. Officials said the number was likely to change as restoration work continued through the evening.Authorities said emergency services, district administrations, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police teams have been placed on high alert as widespread rainfall continued to affect transport and public infrastructure across the hill state. Relief and restoration work is being carried out on a war footing in the affected districts.In Uttarkashi district, a car lost control near Barethi in Chinyalisaur block on Sunday, veered off a sharp bend and plunged into a roadside ravine. Police personnel and rescue teams rushed to the spot and rescued all five occupants, who sustained only minor injuries. They were taken to Chinyalisaur Hospital for treatment, district disaster management officials said.In Dehradun, heavy rainfall led to the collapse of a massive retaining wall in Nai Basti of Vijay Colony in the Hathibarkala-Pathariya Peer area on Saturday night. The collapse sent debris crashing onto nearby houses, damaging four to five residential structures and trapping a resident beneath the rubble.Ashish Chauhan, district magistrate, Dehradun, supervised the rescue operation along with teams from the Kotwali Nagar police and the SDRF. Rescue personnel safely pulled out 62-year-old Vimla Devi, from beneath the debris. She suffered minor injuries and was shifted to a local hospital through the 108 emergency ambulance service, where doctors declared her condition stable.Also Read: Landslide blocks Kedarnath Highway near Sonprayag as heavy rain disrupts YatraRishabh Kumar, district disaster management officer, Dehradun, said seven families comprising 20 people had been evacuated from the affected area and shifted to safer locations, including designated shelters and neighbouring houses, as a precautionary measure. The vulnerable zone has been sealed to prevent any further mishap, he said.The district magistrate directed all concerned departments to maintain round-the-clock surveillance in the area and ordered an immediate technical assessment of the damaged retaining wall to determine its structural stability and undertake reinforcement measures without delay. Police, SDRF and other departmental teams continue to monitor the situation.Heavy overnight rain also caused the temporary alternative bridge at Nanda Ki Chowki on the Dehradun-Paonta Sahib road to be partially washed away after water levels rose sharply. The temporary structure had been built after the original bridge was destroyed during the 2025 disaster. Officials declared the route unsafe before reopening the newly repaired permanent bridge to traffic on Sunday morning, restoring connectivity.Elsewhere in Dehradun district, the Mussoorie–Dehradun highway near Hanuman Temple was blocked after boulders and mud debris slid onto the road during the night, leaving tourists and commuters stranded for several hours.“We, along with dozens of two-wheelers and four-wheelers, including tourists, remained stranded in the dark and could reach Mussoorie only after highway clearance teams reopened the road by dawn,” said commuter Trilok Singh.Kumar said traffic had been restored through the permanent bridge at Nanda Ki Chowki, while the Mussoorie–Dehradun road was reopened after nearly three hours of clearance operations.Also Read:Heavy rain lashes Uttarakhand; 71 roads blocked, woman killed in PithoragarhSeveral rivers were flowing close to warning levels.The Yamuna at Dakpathar touched its warning mark of 455.37 metres on Sunday morning, while the Tons River at Ichhari remained just below its danger level. The Ganga at Triveni Ghat in Rishikesh continued to flow below the danger mark. Officials said more than 20 gates of the Dakpathar and Ichhari barrages had been opened to regulate excess water discharge and the situation remained under control despite continuous monitoring.In Uttarkashi’s Harsil Valley, the Kheerganga River swelled rapidly on Saturday evening following heavy rainfall, carrying sludge and large boulders that blocked drainage culverts beneath the Gangotri National Highway, threatening the road network.The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) deployed heavy machinery to clear the debris and divert the water flow, preventing further damage. Residents, still recovering from last year’s devastating floods in Dharali village, expressed concern over the rising water levels in the river.Meanwhile, a landslide at Sarigad on the Yamunotri National Highway blocked vehicular movement after debris covered the road. Prashant Arya, district magistrate, Uttarkashi, inspected the affected stretch and directed National Highways authorities to expedite restoration work. Villagers informed Arya that the damaged road had disrupted transportation of agricultural produce such as tomatoes, potatoes, beans and apples to markets.Arya assured residents that administrative action would be taken after a technical assessment of the damaged stretch. He also directed the Jal Sansthan to restore a long-defunct pumping water project that has disrupted drinking water supply in the area.Also Read:Uttarakhand: Bridge washed away in 2018, students still use trolley to reach schoolHe said the Sayana Chati stretch remained closed and pilgrims were crossing the damaged section through an alternate pedestrian route with assistance from SDRF personnel, while efforts were underway to reopen the road within six to seven days.In Champawat district, BC Pant, sub-divisional magistrate, inspected the landslide-hit Dhaun–Barauli road, which had remained blocked for three days. The road was reopened with the help of heavy machinery.Manish Kumar, district magistrate, Champawat, said all roads in the district were currently open and authorities were continuously monitoring conditions to ensure safe movement during the monsoon. He appealed to residents to avoid unnecessary travel during adverse weather conditions.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said intermittent rainfall continued across the state on Sunday. Devidhura in Champawat recorded the highest rainfall between 8.30am and 3pm with 7.5mm, followed by Ukhimath in Rudraprayag with 6mm.During the 24 hours ending 8.30am on Sunday, Uttarakhand received 14.4mm of rainfall against the normal of 14.6mm, a deficit of just 1%. Rain continued to lash several parts of Uttarakhand during the past 24 hours, with Mussoorie recording the highest rainfall of 75mm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).Among other places that received significant rainfall were Kaladhungi and Berinag with 66.5mm each, followed by Kalsi (66mm), Hatibarkala (54.5mm), Gangolihat (47.5mm), Kashipur (43.5mm), Ukhimath (42.5mm), Kirtinagar (38mm), Ganai Gangoli (37.5mm) and Dehradun (37mm).Moderate rainfall was also recorded at Kanda (34.5mm), Ramnagar (33.5mm), Rudraprayag (33mm), Sultanpur Patti (31.5mm), Bajpur (29mm), Ghat (25.5mm), Tharali (25mm), Nainital and Tanakpur (23mm each), Kausani (21.5mm), Nainidanda (21mm) and Mohkampur (20.5mm).Several other locations, including Haldwani (12mm), Khatima (9mm), Bhimtal (8.5mm), Srinagar (6mm), Bageshwar (6mm), Kotdwar (4mm) and Rudrapur (3mm), also received light to moderate showers.The IMD has issued a yellow alert for isolated heavy rainfall in Dehradun, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar, Chamoli and Pithoragarh districts. It has also forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and intense spells of rain at isolated places in the hill districts between July 13 and 16.