Uttarakhand has been battered by continuous heavy rains this week, triggering landslides and boulder falls that caused widespread disruption across the hill state. In the past 24 hours, the state recorded an average of 28.2 mm of rainfall, which is 193% higher than normal. Many roads, including important stretches of highways leading to the Char Dham pilgrimage sites, were blocked, and several rivers rose above warning or danger levels.
According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), a total of 374 roads were blocked by landslides and falling rocks. This included 249 PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) roads and 86 roads under the Public Works Department (PWD). Uttarkashi was the worst affected, reporting 55 blocked routes. Udham Singh Nagar and Almora followed with 43 roads each, while Rudraprayag reported 42 closures and Pauri 37.
In Uttarkashi, the Silai Bend stretch was blocked for more than an hour, halting diesel supplies to upper areas before it was cleared. The National Highway-34 at Dharasu remained shut, while the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) managed to reopen stretches at Aungi and Bhatwari later in the evening.
Chamoli district also faced major disruptions with 53 rural and provincial routes blocked. The NH-109K highway, which connects Simli, Tharali, and Gwaldam, was obstructed at several points. Road-clearing machines and manpower were deployed to remove debris, but the continuous rain slowed operations.
The heavy rain caused rivers across several districts to swell dangerously. In Tehri, the Aglar river crossed its danger mark at 688.70 metres, while the Yamuna river touched warning levels at Kuthanur and Naugaon in Uttarkashi. The Ganga river crossed the danger mark at Koteshwar in Tehri and at Haridwar, while it hovered just below warning level in Rishikesh. In Pithoragarh, the Gauri Ganga and Saryu rivers also rose above warning levels.
Officials issued an alert for Thatyur hamlet near the Aglar river in Tehri district. Tehri disaster management officer B.B. Bhatt said, “There is no immediate threat but people have been advised to shift to safer places if the water level rises further.”
At Syana Chatti on the Yamunotri Highway, water levels in an artificial lake that had risen above bridge level on Tuesday receded by three feet on Wednesday, giving some relief to residents. Engineers said that channelisation work was ongoing to manage the flow and prevent further flooding.
The Central Water Commission confirmed the alarming river levels, and the State Emergency Operations Centre in Dehradun issued a flash flood watch for Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Tehri Garhwal, and Rudraprayag districts till Thursday morning. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast heavy overnight rain and thunderstorms, leading to a yellow alert for several districts including Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Nainital, and Champawat.
Meanwhile, rainfall data showed some districts received extremely high amounts. Udham Singh Nagar recorded 65 mm of rainfall, which was 856% above normal. Nainital saw 58.2 mm, 434% above normal, while Champawat logged 54.4 mm, 449% above normal. Dehradun recorded 43.7 mm (267% above normal), Bageshwar 33.4 mm (611% above), and Almora 27.2 mm (479% above normal).
District administrations have been instructed to keep JCBs and excavators on standby and ensure continuous communication lines. Officers have also been told to remain at their posts to deal with any emergency.
In Rudraprayag’s Basukedar area, which was hit by a natural disaster recently, relief and rescue operations are still ongoing. Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) are searching for missing persons. A helicopter delivered ration supplies to cut-off villages such as Uchhola, Taljaman, and Dungar. Community kitchens have also been set up in inaccessible hamlets to ensure food availability. District supply officer K.S. Kohli said that three-month ration supplies had earlier been distributed in villages of the Bangar region, and the September quota was now being delivered without delay.
Tragedy struck in Nainital district, where a 50-year-old woman went missing in Tok Basotiya village of Okhalkanda block. Tulsi Devi, wife of Tejram, had gone to cut grass in a nearby forest on Tuesday but never returned. When villagers searched the next morning, they found her slippers and sickle near the swollen Basotia river. It is feared that she was swept away by the strong current.
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Family members and villagers searched through the night without success. Later, an SDRF team joined the operation but no trace of her was found by late evening. Bhimtal MLA Ram Singh Kaira visited the village and assured locals that the search would continue until she was found.
The situation in Uttarakhand remains tense as rainfall continues to be higher than usual. With rivers already flowing near or above danger levels and hundreds of roads blocked, the coming days will be critical. Authorities are on alert and rescue teams remain deployed, but the unpredictable nature of rain and landslides in the Himalayan region continues to pose serious risks to life and property.
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