Heavy rains pound Uttarakhand

Dehradun, July 13 (IANS) Heavy rains continued to pound Uttarakhand for the second consecutive day on Thursday leading to chaos and disruption of normal life.

Schools and colleges in many places including state capital Dehradun and Haridwar remained closed as roads were blocked due to landslides and low lying areas remained water logged.

The route to the annual Chaar Dhaam Yatra in Badrinath and Yamunotri was blocked and pilgrims have been asked to stay put at safe places like Gaurikund and Soneprayag, en route to the Kedarnath shrine, an official said.

The Badrinath highway near Lambagad has been cleared for traffic now. In Chamoli district alone more than 50 roads are blocked.

The Rishikesh-Badrinath route was also blocked at Kaudiyala near Mulyagaon, Byasi and Totaghat.

Director of the regional Met department, Vikram Singh informed that the rains will continue for the next 48-hours.

Due to a cloud burst, the Dehradun-Saharanpur road caved in leading to a complete halt of all vehicular traffic on this route.

Roads in Doiwala, Rishikesh, Haldwani, Bhimtal and Dehradun are submerged in waist-deep water.

Rivers like Chandrabhaga, Rispana and Hasan are in spate. Commuters have been stopped from moving ahead at Khadi on the Rishikesh-Gangotri highway in Tihri as the Bemunda Gadera river was overflowing.

In the last 24-hours, more than 150mm rain was recorded in Nainital.