Severe Storm On Tehri Lake Strands Tourists Near Dobra-Chanti Bridge, SDRF Rescues 30 From Damaged Floating Huts

Tehri: A severe storm struck Tehri Garhwal district on Saturday evening, damaging the jetty and floating hutments in Tehri Dam lake and leaving around 30 tourists stranded near the Dobra-Chanti bridge. According to reports, the strong winds battered the structures on the water, causing them to collapse and drift, triggering fear among those on board. The incident left the tourists stranded in the storm, so management shared the information with the local administration. 

The reports suggested that the Disaster Control Room in Tehri Garhwal was alerted that the floating hutments near Dobara-Chati had been hit by the storm, with several people feared trapped. On information, a rescue team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) post at Koti Colony, led by Sub-Inspector Narendra Rana, rushed to the site with necessary equipment. At the site, the SDRF team found that the hutments were damaged and swept away by the force of the storm.

The SDRF launched an urgent rescue operation and successfully brought 25 to 30 people to safety. All rescued tourists were transported to Koti Colony using a boat provided by the tourism department. The officials confirmed that no casualties were reported, crediting the rapid response for preventing a tragedy on the lake.

Orange Alert Heightens Vigil Across Uttarakhand

The Tehri lake incident came as the Meteorological Department (MeT) issued an orange alert for several districts, including Dehradun, Tehri, Haridwar, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar, for May 4th and 5th. In response, the state emergency operations centre circulated necessary guidelines to district administrations, stressing high vigilance and prompt action in the event of any disaster.

Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said that districts had been instructed to maintain readiness and ensure immediate restoration of any road blockages. The National Highways (NH) department, Public Works Department (PWD), PMGSY and Border Roads Organisation (BRO) have been placed on alert to respond to disruptions. The officials at the village level have also been asked to remain active in their areas and keep disaster equipment and resources prepared.

Trekking Restricted In Sensitive Areas

The government officials asserted that as part of precautionary measures, trekking activities in mountainous areas have been controlled and surveillance in sensitive zones has been intensified. The relief and rescue teams across the state have been placed on standby to deal with weather-related emergencies.

Further, schools have been directed to ensure the safety of students during the alert period. The administration said that the measures are to minimise risk following Saturday’s storm. The administration, with weather warnings in effect, is urging both residents and tourists to follow advisories and avoid venturing into vulnerable areas until conditions stabilise.