Nainital: Popular Tourist Spot Dorothy's Seat Collapses In Landslide After Heavy Rain
The hill leading to Tiffin Top had developed deep cracks, causing Dorothy's Seat, which is a round platform on top of a flight of steps with a bench on it, to crack as well.
As monsoon continues to grapple Uttarakhand with incesssant downpour, Nainital's famous tourist spot, Dorothy's Seat, also known as Tiffin Top, was reduced to rubble, following a landslide triggered by heavy rain. There were no casualties.
As per sub-divisional magistrate Pramod Kumar, the tourist destination collapsed around 11 pm on Tuesday. "The town echoed with a loud bang and huge boulders came crashing down," Kumar said.
The hill leading to Tiffin Top had developed deep cracks, causing Dorothy's Seat, which is a round platform on top of a flight of steps with a bench on it, to crack as well, officials told news agency PTI.
Following heavy rainfall on Tuesday night, the structure could not withstand and finally gave way.
Dinesh Suntha, a local tea shop owner, stated that the fear of rain and falling boulders distanced people from the tourist spot. He said that his nephew, hwo was sleeping inside their shop at the time of the landslide informed him about the disaster.
District Magistrate Vandana Singh also confirmed the landslides that hit the Tiffin Top area. She said that teams were dispatched to the affected site, and no casualties were reported.
Dorothy's Seat is situated at a height of 2,290 metres and was built by British Army officer Colonel Kellett in memory of his wife who loved to sit on the spot and paint. She died of septicemia on a ship en-route to England.
Tourists had to undertake a gentle three kilometre treck from Nainita to reach Tiffin Top. The spot offers panoramic views of the lake town and if lucky one can even see the Himalayas on clear days. Dorothy's Seat is popular with both locals and tourists alike.
In another distressing incident reported from the state, the residents of Tehri district's Rangad village were forced to stay indoors for 22 days due to the ongoing monsoon mayhem.
The water level of the Chifliti river has also failed to recede, forcing local schools' closure.
Rekha Devi, the head of Tauliya Kaatal village, told The New Indian Express that the "old pedestrian bridge was washed away in 2022, forcing helicopter deliveries of essential supplies during the monsoon season."
She also said that the Public Works Department installed a temporary trolley system, but that too was swept away by the river in 2023, "leaving villagers struggling to cope with the harsh monsoon season."
The State Disaster Response Force had rescued 15-20 people who were trapped inside their homes due to flooding in the Kumaon region after incessant rainfall. The team also evacuated around 150 locals and pilgrims, who were stranded in Gaurikund on Wednesday.
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