Monsoon rains have created mayhem in the Himalayan states of Uttarakhand and Himacahl Pradesh. Incessant rain, flash floods and landslides have made life miserable for local residents and tourists who have been stranded due to bad weather.
According to reports, 50 people have died and 60 others are missing in Uttarakhand after floods washed away buildings and roads. More than a dozen people have died in Rudraprayag district alone while another 50 have gone missing.
Following the heavy rains, the Char Dham Yatra has been halted and hundreds and thousands of pilgrims are stranded enroute to Badrinath, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Yamunotri. The National Highway leading up to Gangotri and Badrinath has been damaged in the floods and is closed for any kind of transportation. Several buildings in Badrinath have been washed away. Munsiyari is the worst hit as the Kali Ganga river has engulfed 400 hundred houses. The river Ganga is flowing two metres above the danger mark in Uttarakhand. Efforts are on to save stranded people but incessant rain has made rescue operations difficult in the state. 12 disaster management teams have been rushed to the state.
Sitiuation in Himachal grimSituation in neighbouring Himchal Pradesh is no different. Flooding and landslides have already claimed eight lives in the state and over 1,500 tourists have been stranded. Kinnaur district has received 204mm of rains which is the highest in 20 years. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh who was stranded in Kinnaur due to landslides has finally been rescued after 60 hours.
Photograph by EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection
