Uttarakhand: Rishikesh-Badrinath blocked due to landslide in Tehri Garhwal

Tehri Garhwal, August 19: Traffic has been suspended on the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway-58 following a heavy landslide from the mountain in Totaghati area of Tehri Garhwal district, officials said on Saturday.

Tehri District Magistrate Mayur Dixit said heavy landslide struck the Totaghati area, which led to traffic blockade on the Badrinath Highway.

He said road clearing work was in progress and since the magnitude of the landslide was high, it could take some time to clear the road.

On Friday, the water level in the Pindar river in the Tharali area of Chamoli district surged following heavy rainfall in the state. "There was heavy rain in the area Friday evening, after which the water level of the Pranmati started flowing above the danger mark. Due to this, the Pindar also came in spate," Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana said.

The DM said the surge in the water level of the rivers created an atmosphere of panic among the local people of the area and that several houses and agricultural lands in the area were damaged.

Heavy rains disrupted normal life in the Kaluwala area of Dehradun on Friday. The rainwater entered the houses and caused waterlogging on the streets, the SDRF added.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had on Monday conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in the state and also reviewed the increasing water level of the Ganga river in Rishikesh.

Heavy rains in Uttarakhand this monsoon have triggered landslides and flash floods in several places.