NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a cautionary alert about potential landslides due to heavy rainfall across several districts of Uttarakhand until August 14. This has prompted local authorities to relocate residents to safer areas. The state has been placed under 'red' and 'orange' alerts for the next three days.
The intense rainfall has also triggered landslides in Himachal Pradesh, leading to the partial closure of the Chandigarh-Shimla National Highway on Thursday night, as reported.
In another incident within Himachal Pradesh, the Solan Police reported the closure of NH5 Shima-Kalka road due to a recent landslide in the district late last night. Although the Shimla-Kalka road had been reopened for traffic on Wednesday following repair work, it was once again closed due to a landslide that occurred last week.
Following a landslide in Gaurikund, two missing individuals were discovered on Thursday, a week after the incident caused by heavy rainfall. The landslide took place during the night between August 3 and 4, washing away three shops near a rain-fed waterfall in Gaurikund, approximately 50 meters above the Mandakini River, which was in a state of rapid flow.
The weather agency has advised people to avoid vulnerable structures and areas prone to waterlogging, as they issue warnings of potential localized flooding and landslides.
Earlier, due to a massive landslide in the Kinnu area of Himachal Pradesh's Shimla district, the Manglad-Bagvat road had been closed on Sunday. The region has been significantly affected by the monsoon rains, resulting in incidents such as landslides and flash floods. On August 1, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, along with Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, conducted a joint assessment of the damage caused by the recent disaster in Kullu district.
Additionally, the Union Minister announced that the Union Government would allocate Rs 400 crore from the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) to expedite repair and restoration efforts.
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