Uttarakhand CM Dhami reviews flood, rain situation after IMD orange alert; directs 24x7 monitoring
Dehradun, July 28
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed the prevailing state situation in a high-level meeting with Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman, following the India Meteorological Department's orange alert across multiple districts and continuous heavy rainfall since Monday night.
The Chief Minister sought a detailed assessment of rainfall across the state, the situation in various districts, road blockages, river water levels, waterlogging, ongoing relief and rescue operations and the preparedness of the administration to deal with any emergency.
Meanwhile, Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Minister Madan Kaushik and Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan also reviewed the rain situation with Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman.
They directed all State and District Emergency Operations Centres to remain functional round the clock, continuously monitor incidents and ensure immediate and coordinated response during any emergency.
Chief Minister Dhami directed all departments to function in complete coordination and remain on 24x7 alert.
He said there should not be even a moment's delay in carrying out relief and rescue operations during any disaster or emergency. He instructed officials to ensure immediate action on every report and provide all necessary resources to affected areas without delay. The Chief Minister also directed District Magistrates and senior departmental officials to visit the field and personally assess the situation.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to give top priority to reopening roads blocked due to heavy rainfall. He directed that an adequate number of JCBs, Pokland machines, dozers, and other essential equipment be deployed to restore connectivity at the earliest and ensure that relief and rescue operations continue without hindrance.
He further directed that helicopter services remain on full alert so that relief and rescue operations can be launched immediately in remote and disaster-affected areas whenever required, ensuring timely assistance reaches those in need. The Chief Minister also instructed officials to ensure the immediate restoration of electricity, drinking water, and communication services on a priority basis if they are disrupted due to heavy rainfall or landslides.
Emphasising that the safety of pilgrims on the Char Dham Yatra and other routes across the state is of the highest priority, the Chief Minister directed that travellers be stopped at safe locations in the event of heavy rainfall or landslides and allowed to proceed only after weather conditions improve and the routes are declared safe.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see the administration is on their toes, but I hope this isn't just a press meeting. In the past, we've seen delays in relief reaching remote villages when roads get cut off. The helicopter alert is a smart move, but what about early warning systems for those living on landslide-prone slopes in places like Rudraprayag?
As a local from Almora, I appreciate the CM's directive to DMs to visit the field personally. But honestly, we need more than just meetings—last year during the monsoon, some villages near Bageshwar were without power for 3 days. Electricity restoration should be instant, not 'priority-based'. Still, better late than never. 👍
The focus on Char Dham pilgrims is correct—we don't want another Kedarnath 2013 tragedy. But I wish the CM also mentioned better drainage systems for towns like Haldwani and Rishikesh. Waterlogging is a nightmare every monsoon because roads become rivers. Abhi bhi kuch nahi kiya gaya hai for that. 😔
I like that they've ordered 24x7 operation of Emergency Centers. But coordination between different departments always seems weak on the ground. Hope the CM follows up daily—leadership from the top matters. At least he's saying the right things. Let's see if they actually use the helicopters for evacuation before it's too late.
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