DEHRADUN: The monsoon mayhem, which has persisted for the past two weeks in Uttarakhand, shows no signs of abating. In the latest incident that occurred on Tuesday night, a landslide at Tiffin Top Peak in Nainital, also known as Dorothy’s Seat, reduced the popular tourist spot to rubble.Located just 3-km from the city, the moderately steep trek to Tiffin Top offers an exhilarating experience. The ‘Dorothy’s Seat’—a bench and platform—once provided a stunning view of Nainital town and the Himalayan peaks, has now been devastated by the calamity.Dinesh Sutha, a local tea shop owner, reported that cracks had already made it dangerous to approach Dorothy’s Seat. On Tuesday night, his nephew Ashutosh was sleeping in the shop when they heard a loud rumbling sound as the entire Dorothy’s Seat collapsed.District Magistrate Vandana Singh confirmed that landslides hit the Tiffin Top area around midnight. Teams were dispatched to the affected site, and no casualties were reported.Meanwhile, in another distressing situation, residents of the Rangad village in Tehri district’s Tauliya Kaatal area have been confined to their homes for 22 days due to the ongoing water disaster. The failure of the Chifliti river’s water level to recede has also forced the closure of local schools.Speaking to TNIE, Rekha Devi, the head of Tauliya Kaatal village, said: “The old pedestrian bridge was washed away in 2022, forcing helicopter deliveries of essential supplies during the monsoon season. A temporary trolley system was installed by the Public Works Department, but it too was swept away by the river in 2023, leaving villagers struggling to cope with the harsh monsoon season.”GP Nautiyal, Executive Engineer of Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) in New Tehri, told this daily, “A 30-meter bridge was proposed at a cost of Rs 1.9 crore, 9 km from Dubda-Rangad village on the motor road. However, due to heavy rainfall, the span of the bridge has now increased to 48 metres. A revised proposal of Rs 3.67 crore has been sent to the government in January 2024 for the construction of a new bridge with an increased span. Work on the bridge will commence as soon as the budget is approved.”In a separate operation, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescued 15-20 people trapped in homes threatened by floodwaters in the Kumaon region following incessant heavy rainfall. The timely intervention saved them from drowning, and they were relocated to safer areas. In another daring rescue operation, the SDRF team from Sonprayag safely evacuated 150 locals and pilgrims stranded in Gaurikund on Wednesday, escorting them down treacherous mountain paths.Rudraprayag Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar told this daily, “Heavy rainfall in the Kedarghati area of Rudraprayag caused a surge in the Mandakini river’s water level, resulting in the collapse of a temporary bridge over the river in Sonprayag. The bridge, built by the Army to rescue stranded pilgrims on the Kedarnath trek route, was swept away.”The incessant downpour has also affected road connectivity, with the Badrinath Highway blocked near Gauchar-Kamed and the Gangotri Highway also being closed. SDRF Headquarters sources reported, “Inspector Balm Singh Bajeli and his rescue team swiftly responded to flash flooding in the Azad Nagar area of Rudrapur, Kumaon division, rescuing people stranded in their homes due to heavy rainfall and safely evacuating them to higher ground.”
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