2 dead as heavy monsoon rain lashes U'khand, CM urges Char Dham yatris to exercise caution

Two people were killed in rain-related incidents as heavy rains lashed various parts of Uttarakhand on Sunday amid an 'orange alert' issued by the Met office for several districts.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the disaster control room here to review the situation and advised Char Dham pilgrims to proceed on their journey only after taking a weather update. The weather office has forecast intense spells of rain at isolated places in Nainital, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Dehradun, Tehri and Pauri districts on Sunday. "I appeal to the devotees that in case the weather turns bad, they should stop their yatra and follow the forecast of the Meteorological department," he said.

Incessant rain triggered landslides, blocking a number of roads, while the water level has risen in several rivers, including the Ganga.

A 50-year-old man was killed when his vehicle got trapped under the debris following a landslide in Rudraprayag district. The deceased was identified as Anil Bisht. Two other vehicles were also damaged, the official said.

In another incident, a youth was killed and three others were injured while transplanting in a field in the Kandyal village of Purola tehsil of Uttarkashi district. The deceased has been identified as Abhishek (20).

Dhami directed the officials to maintain constant communication and coordination with the districts experiencing excess rain so that emergencies can be dealt with on time.

Over the past 24 hours, Haridwar received the maximum rainfall of 78.5 mm, followed by Dehradun with 33.2 mm, Tehri 26.2 mm, Pauri 15.1 mm and Pithoragarh 12.6 mm, the Met department said. Dhami also asked the officials in the districts to be on the alert and make adequate arrangements for police, State Disaster Response Force and health personnel to meet any challenge.

The chief minister advised people living near the rivers and streams to be extra vigilant.

He also told the officials to make adequate arrangements at night shelters so that the people who have to leave their homes due to the heavy rain are not inconvenienced.