Cloudburst in Dehradun, swollen rivers wash away bridges

Dehradun: A cloudburst hit the Raipur-Kumalda area here in the early hours of Saturday, causing rivers to breach their banks and wash away bridges, officials said.

Water also entered the caves of Tapkeshwar, a famous Shiva temple on the banks of the Tons river, they said.

The cloudburst occurred around 2.15 am. A bridge over the Song river was washed away and the Kempty Falls, a popular tourist spot near Mussoorie, was flowing dangerously, the officials said.

Mud entered homes in over a dozen villages following the cloudburst, prompting the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to shift the affected people to safe locations.

The affected villages include Maldevta, Bhutsi, Tauliyakatal, Thatyud, Lavarkha, Ringalgadh, Dhuttu, Ragad Gaon and Sarkhet, according to the officials.

The affected residents have been shifted to schools and panchayat buildings, said Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Dhanolti, Lakshmi Raj Chauhan.

The Raipur-Kumalda motor road has been blocked due to debris at a number of places, he said.

The Rishikesh-Badrinath highway is blocked at Totaghati, the Rishikesh-Gangotri highway is blocked at Nagni, and the Narendranagar-Ranipokhri motor road is blocked at several points, Chauhan said.