Uttarakhand Havoc: Heavy Rainfall Lashes Dehradun, Haridwar; IMD Issues Red Alert, Schools Shut

Dehradun: Following heavy rain alerts in hill state of Uttarakhand, Dehradun, Haridwar, and adjoining areas have been experiencing heavy downpours since the wee hours of Friday.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in parts of North India, including Uttarakhand.  

Schools have been closed in nine districts of Uttarakhand, including Haridwar and Dehradun after a Red Alert was issued for heavy rainfall. Additionally, several key national highways in the hill state have been shut down due to the ongoing rain.

The IMD has issued alerts for the region as satellite data indicates a large inland depression, which is expected to bring intense rain to Uttarakhand over the next 48 hours, starting Thursday night.

The Badrinath National Highway was blocked at Kameda, Nandprayag, and Chhinka due to multiple landsides along the route after heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand on Friday. 

In Uttarakhand, 150 roads have been closed due to landslides, and the threat of further landslides remains on the Kedarnath route. The road between Sonprayag and Gaurikund is blocked due to falling stones at multiple locations. Police from Sonprayag, along with NDRF and SDRF personnel, are working to clear the debris and reopen the road, according to Rudraprayag Police.