Rains continue, rivers in spate

With torrential rain lashing Haridwar district for the past few days, the seasonal rivers like Ratmau and Peel Nadi are now swollen. Many villages across the district are facing flood threat. Among the badly affected villages  are Jogawala, Sahejpur, Badhedi Rajputana, Padartha Gurjar basti, Sikandarpur, Jamalpur kalan, Rasoolpur, Kangri and Shyampur.

Things might be aggravated if water is released from Tehri dam, a prospect which makes the people, living in the vulnerable villages in Laksar tehsil, to spend sleepless nights. The district officials are also alarmed. It is learnt that the district administration has managed things somehow by diverting the excess water through Srinagar barrage.

The MP from Haridwar  Ramesh Pokhariyal ‘Nishank’ spoke to Tehri District Magistrate on Friday over the flood like situation developing in the district. He also visited some of the villages affected by heavy rain and swelling rivers. 

Heavy downpour on Thursday night and Friday morning has made the situation worse, the people say. They, further, say they did not have a wink of sleep last night, fearing water gushing into their houses and sweeping them away following release of water by   Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd (THDC). 

Speaking to The Pioneer, ADM Haridwar Lalit Kishore Mishra said, “We are in constant touch with the THDC officials. We learnt that water has been diverted through Srinagar barrage. If the rains abate the situation would be under control.”

The embankment near Laksar has breached at two points. This has, further, compounded the flood threat hovering over many villages as the water of Ganga has gushed into agricultural fields. Things would be grave if water is released from Tehri dam, the district officers said.

Meanwhile, the city faced heavy traffic congestion on the roads on Friday. The same was the picture across the district on the roads. Traffic crawled near the highway near Patanjali Yog Peeth. Things remaining bad, traffic was diverted through Piran Kaliyar route.

With BHEL under-bridge under waist-deep rain water, the traffic was re-routed from old Ranipur More area. The commuters had a harrowing time as it took them over three hours to cross just a kilometre stretch of road.   Vehicles remained stuck on the roads till Rishikul area from Ranipur More.

District disaster management officer Meera Kaintura said while talking to The Pioneer on Friday, “An embankment over seasonal river Ratmau  was damaged. Subsequently, water gushed into the nearby villages. Besides, embankment on Rasoolpur Beri village in Laldhang area breached at two places. Nearly 15 villages are facing flood threat. Villages under threat are Sikandrpur, Jogawala, Sahejpur, Badhedi Rajputana, Padrtha Gurjar basti, Jamalpur kalan and Rasoolpur. We are shifting the people to safe places and the villagers from Gurjar Basti have already been evacuated.”

At places, parts of the embankments have been washed away and water entered some houses and sugarcane fields. Furthermore, Ganga is in full spate fed by the torrential rains which lashed the hills and the plains of Uttarakhand.  Shower continuing, the water level of Ganga remained close to the danger mark on Friday. The water level was recorded 293.90 metres on the morning of Friday while the danger level is at 294 metres. On Thursday, it had reached 293.40 metres just a few metres below the danger mark.

The district disaster management team is on the alert mode, given the looming threat. The officers said that they are prepared for any emergency.

 Rains continue, rivers in spate

PNS n Haridwar

With torrential rain lashing Haridwar district for the past few days, the seasonal rivers like Ratmau and Peel Nadi are now swollen. Many villages across the district are facing flood threat. Among the badly affected villages  are Jogawala, Sahejpur, Badhedi Rajputana, Padartha Gurjar basti, Sikandarpur, Jamalpur kalan, Rasoolpur, Kangri and Shyampur.

Things might be aggravated if water is released from Tehri dam, a prospect which makes the people, living in the vulnerable villages in Laksar tehsil, to spend sleepless nights. The district officials are also alarmed. It is learnt that the district administration has managed things somehow by diverting the excess water through Srinagar barrage.

The MP from Haridwar  Ramesh Pokhariyal ‘Nishank’ spoke to Tehri District Magistrate on Friday over the flood like situation developing in the district. He also visited some of the villages affected by heavy rain and swelling rivers. 

Heavy downpour on Thursday night and Friday morning has made the situation worse, the people say. They, further, say they did not have a wink of sleep last night, fearing water gushing into their houses and sweeping them away following release of water by   Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd (THDC). 

Speaking to The Pioneer, ADM Haridwar Lalit Kishore Mishra said, “We are in constant touch with the THDC officials. We learnt that water has been diverted through Srinagar barrage. If the rains abate the situation would be under control.”

The embankment near Laksar has breached at two points. This has, further, compounded the flood threat hovering over many villages as the water of Ganga has gushed into agricultural fields. Things would be grave if water is released from Tehri dam, the district officers said.

Meanwhile, the city faced heavy traffic congestion on the roads on Friday. The same was the picture across the district on the roads. Traffic crawled near the highway near Patanjali Yog Peeth. Things remaining bad, traffic was diverted through Piran Kaliyar route.

With BHEL under-bridge under waist-deep rain water, the traffic was re-routed from old Ranipur More area. The commuters had a harrowing time as it took them over three hours to cross just a kilometre stretch of road.   Vehicles remained stuck on the roads till Rishikul area from Ranipur More.

District disaster management officer Meera Kaintura said while talking to The Pioneer on Friday, “An embankment over seasonal river Ratmau  was damaged. Subsequently, water gushed into the nearby villages. Besides, embankment on Rasoolpur Beri village in Laldhang area breached at two places. Nearly 15 villages are facing flood threat. Villages under threat are Sikandrpur, Jogawala, Sahejpur, Badhedi Rajputana, Padrtha Gurjar basti, Jamalpur kalan and Rasoolpur. We are shifting the people to safe places and the villagers from Gurjar Basti have already been evacuated.”

At places, parts of the embankments have been washed away and water entered some houses and sugarcane fields. Furthermore, Ganga is in full spate fed by the torrential rains which lashed the hills and the plains of Uttarakhand.  Shower continuing, the water level of Ganga remained close to the danger mark on Friday. The water level was recorded 293.90 metres on the morning of Friday while the danger level is at 294 metres. On Thursday, it had reached 293.40 metres just a few metres below the danger mark.The district disaster management team is on the alert mode, given the looming threat. The officers said that they are prepared for any emergency.