Uttarakhand has been swept into the full force of the monsoon, and with it has come a spell of destructive rain. The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for July 7, warning of intense rain and thunderstorms across several parts of the state, a signal that both the administration and residents need to stay prepared for possible disruption. According to the weather department, the southwest monsoon has already advanced into most parts of Uttarakhand via Dehradun, Mandi, Bareilly and Ayodhya. Officials say conditions remain highly favourable for the monsoon to cover the entire state within the next two to three days.
The weather systems driving the downpour
A strong trough line currently stretches from Punjab all the way to the north Bay of Bengal. This has triggered strong southeasterly winds in the lower troposphere, which are pulling in huge amounts of moisture from the Bay of Bengal towards the hills and plains of Uttarakhand. On top of that, a fresh western disturbance has also become active over northwest India. Scientists at the meteorological centre say it is the combined effect of these two powerful systems that has blanketed Uttarakhand's skies in thick cloud cover. When monsoon moisture collides with the cooler air of a western disturbance, rainfall intensity rises sharply, which is why the hill districts face a heightened risk of sudden, intense downpours.
Which districts face the biggest risk
The weather department has issued separate advisories for the plains and the hill districts. For July 7, it has warned of heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in Dehradun, Nainital and Bageshwar. These hill districts have also been warned of thunder, lightning and spells of intense to very intense rainfall. In the plains, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar are expected to see thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds, which could disrupt farming activity and everyday life. The department has asked both the administration and the public to remain fully alert and avoid stepping out unless necessary.
Retaining wall collapse in Uttarkashi leaves villagers in panic
Heavy overnight rain caused major damage in Chiwan village in the Assiganga area of Uttarkashi district. Continuous intense rain caused a large retaining wall built on a hillside to suddenly cave in, sending a huge quantity of debris and boulders crashing down. Two motorcycles parked nearby were completely buried under the debris, while another large vehicle parked close by was badly damaged. It was fortunate that the incident occurred at night when there was little movement on the road, otherwise the damage could have been far worse. The incident has left the village in a state of panic. Villagers say the risk of landslides and wall collapses keeps rising with every spell of rain, to the point that people are now afraid to sleep at night, fearing that debris and boulders from the hillside could reach their homes at any time.
Rivers in spate in Chamoli, Badrinath highway shut
Chamoli district has also seen continuous heavy rain since late at night. Rain is falling steadily across all the hill areas of the district, including the world-famous Badrinath Dham, pushing the water levels of the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers close to the danger mark and prompting an alert for riverside areas. The Deval and Kotеda areas also bore the brunt of the overnight rain. In Kotеda gram panchayat, large cracks have appeared in a newly built road, raising fears that it could cave in. Continuous soil erosion has also put dozens of families living in the Nathiya Simar area at risk, and they may eventually need to be evacuated. The Birahi-Nizmula motor road has been completely shut due to rain and debris, but the biggest blow has been to the Rishikesh-Badrinath national highway, which has been blocked near Bhanerpani and Gulabkoti after huge amounts of debris fell on it. Since this highway is the main route for the Badrinath pilgrimage, its closure has brought the movement of travellers and pilgrims to a complete halt. Administration teams are working on a war footing to reopen the highway, but repeated rockfalls keep hampering the work, making the job risky even for the labourers and machine operators involved.
Landslides leave 17 roads shut in Pithoragarh
The impact of the monsoon is clearly visible in Pithoragarh, the border district of the Kumaon division. Continuous heavy rain over the past 24 hours has triggered large-scale landslides at several places in the district. Falling debris and crumbling hillsides have left around 17 major rural and connecting roads completely blocked. With these roads shut, dozens of villages have been completely cut off from the district headquarters, creating major problems in the supply of essential goods and emergency medical services. Because Pithoragarh is a border district, the closure of these roads is being seen as particularly serious, since it disrupts the supply chain to villages located close to the border. The local administration is trying to clear the debris using JCB machines, but continuous rain and poor weather are making it extremely difficult to restore the roads.
Special alert for Dehradun and Rudraprayag
Besides the state capital Dehradun, the weather department has also issued a special orange alert for Tehri, Chamoli, Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag districts. In Rudraprayag, intermittent heavy rain has continued since late at night, and thick dark clouds have covered the sky since morning. The continuous rain has caused the water levels of the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers to rise rapidly, following which the administration has strictly advised pilgrims and locals to stay away from the river ghats. The Dehradun meteorological centre has issued an advisory urging people not to travel to sensitive areas and to take shelter in safe places during thunderstorms, in order to avoid any mishap.
Temperatures swing between the plains and the hills
Looking at the temperature data for the past 24 hours, the maximum temperature in the plains of Uttarakhand was recorded around normal levels. Among the hill areas, Pantnagar was the hottest spot, while Mukteshwar recorded the coldest conditions. The weather department says rainfall intensity is likely to increase further in the coming days, which means people in both the hill and plains districts need to stay especially alert over the next few days.
