Director Dr Bikram Singh told , “There is a possibility of one or two spells of heavy rainfall on Friday as well. An orange alert has been issued for Uttarkashi, indicating heavy to very heavy rainfall. Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Dehradun, Bageshwar, and Nainital may witness thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rainfall.”According to the sources at MET department, Dehradun witnessed a record-breaking 175 mm rainfall between Wednesday and Thursday mornings, the highest since 1966 when 487 mm rainfall was recorded. Haridwar also saw the highest single-day rainfall in 40 years, with 242 mm downpour, surpassing the previous record set in 1984. Dr Bikram Singh further added that Dehradun received 35 per cent more rainfall than usual in July.Vinod Kumar Suman, Secretary of Disaster Management in Uttarakhand, told this newspaper, “Only the route between Gaurikund and Kedarnath is blocked. Yesterday, we evacuated 2300 people from Gaurikund to Sonprayag and 700 people from Bhimboli and Lincholi to Guptkashi. 1000 people are safe in Kedarnath. Relief and rescue operations are underway using four helicopters from Lincholi and Bhimboli.”The State has received an MI-17 aircraft and a Chinook helicopter from the Centre for rescue operations, which will resume once the weather clears. While Yamunotri, Gangotri, and Badrinath pilgrimages continue, the Kedarnath pilgrimage has been temporarily suspended.Central Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah spoke to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami over the phone to inquire about the disaster situation in various parts of the state. Dhami briefed Shah on the large-scale relief and rescue operations underway in the affected areas. Shah assured all possible assistance for the safety of the state’s residents and pilgrims.
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