Rivers overflowed, bridges washed away after cloudburst in Dehradun

DEHRADUN: A cloudburst that struck the Raipur-Kumalda region early on Saturday caused rivers to overflow their banks and sweep away bridges, according to officials.

According to them, water also made its way into the caves of Tapkeshwar, a well-known Shiva temple on the banks of the Tons river.

The cloudbursts occurred at around 2.15 am. The Kempty Falls, a well-known tourist destination near Mussoorie, was flowing dangerously, according to the officials, and a bridge over the Song river washed away.

Following the cloudburst, mud entered houses in over a dozen villages, leading the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to relocate the impacted residents to safe areas.

The affected villages include Maldevta, Bhutsi, Tauliyakatal, Thatyud, Lavarkha, Ringalgadh, Dhuttu, Ragad Gaon and Sarkhet, according to the officials.

The affected residents have been shifted to schools and panchayat buildings, said Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Dhanolti, Lakshmi Raj Chauhan.

The Raipur-Kumalda motor road has been blocked due to debris at several places, he said.

The Rishikesh-Badrinath highway is blocked at Totaghati, the Rishikesh-Gangotri highway is blocked at Nagni, and the Narendranagar-Ranipokhri motor road is blocked at several points, Chauhan said.

With PTI inputs