DEHRADUN: According to official sources, continuous rainfall and landslides have wreaked havoc in Uttarakhand. In the latest spell of rain, six people have lost their lives, while two remain missing. Debris and boulders blocked 324 roads, including 185 in Kumaon.On Friday, six people, including three women, lost their lives due to drowning in rivers and getting buried under rubble. Two individuals, including a teenager, are still missing. The recent flash floods in Uttarakhand have claimed several lives, with the latest reports confirming six fatalities in the past 24 hours. Sources at the DDMA confirmed that in Lohaghat’s Dhaurja village, Madhvi Devi (58) died after a tree and debris fell on a cowshed. Shanti Devi (55) succumbed to injuries after being trapped under debris in Nakela Tok, Mityani village. A 15-year-old student, Jagdish Singh Bohra, remains missing. In Pithoragarh’s Ganakot village, Devki Devi (70) died after debris falling on her home. In Almora’s Bhaisiyachana, 73-year-old Dan Singh drowned while crossing a stream in Thiklana village. “Gurnam Singh (38), a farmer from Sitaraganj’s Koundha village, was swept away by the Kailash River and remains untraceable despite search efforts”, said an official of the revenue department. Meanwhile, an ITBP jawan and a porter on patrol in Munsiyari are missing. Despite helicopter searches on Saturday, their whereabouts remain unknown.Heavy rainfall in Haldwani has led to a crocodile being spotted on a road in the Three-Pani area, prompting pedestrians to flee. Onlookers quickly shared videos of the incident on social media. Although police and forest officials were notified, the crocodile had disappeared by then.According to sources from the District Disaster Management Office, the alternate route to the Badrinath Highway in Chamoli, the Nandprayag-Sekot-Kothiyalsen road, has been blocked due to landslides.The Badrinath Highway remains closed at Parthadeep since Saturday morning. The ongoing monsoon season has severely impacted the Char Dham Yatra, with frequent roadblocks on the Char Dham route causing disruptions.According to Shailendra Matuda, President of the Uttarkashi Hotel Association, the monsoon season has been a complete washout for the pilgrimage. Matuda told this newspaper, “September was expected to see a surge in bookings, but recent rainfall has led to cancellations. In the past two-three days, four bookings at our hotel have been cancelled, including a large group of pilgrims scheduled to arrive between September 17-22.” “Several other hotels have also witnessed cancellations, indicating a worrying trend for the tourism industry”, added President Matuda.
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