Glacial burst in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli leads to massive flood, alert sounded

A massive flood in the Dhauliganga river was reported near a village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, prompting authorities to launch a search and rescue operation and sounding an alert in all the districts downstream up to Haridwar, sources reported on Sunday.

Hundreds of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel have been rushed to carry out rescue operations at the site near the Raini village, where some water bodies were flooded and destroyed many riverbank side houses due to cloudburst or breaching of a reservoir, an official of the border patrol force said. Casualties are feared, they added.

The chief minister also hinted towards the possibility of damage to the Rishiganga project in Raini village and flooding in the lower areas of Alaknanda. “There is a possibility of damage to the Rishiganga project in Rini village of Chamoli due to heavy rains and sudden water. There is also a possibility of flooding in the lower areas of Alaknanda due to sudden arrival in the river. People have been alerted in coastal areas. People settled along the river are being removed from the area,” he wrote on the microblogging site.

Chamoli district magistrate Swati S Bhadauria has instructed officials to evacuate people living in villages on the bank of Dhauliganga river. The district magistrate and the superintendent of police have left for the spot, sources reported.

The water level in Dhauliganga river rose suddenly following an avalanche near a power project at Raini village in Tapovan area of Chamoli district.

The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) has also been rushed to the spot. “The local SDRF was informed at around 11am following which three teams comprising about 30 men reached the spot to start the rescue operation. The avalanche has brought huge muck and debris in the river. The loss of life and property is yet to be ascertained,” Praveen Alok, SDRF’s spokesperson, said.