Uttarakhand Landslide Strands 50 Near Madhyamaheshwar Dham Amid Heavy Rain: Report

Heavy rainfall and landslides halted the pilgrimage to Uttarakhand's Madhyamaheshwar Dham, stranding 50 people.

IMD has issued an 'orange alert' for Dehradun and Bageshwar, predicting moderate to heavy rainfall in the area. (Image: PTI)

Source : PTI

Uttarakhand News: At least 50 people were left stranded near the Madhyamaheshwar Dham in Uttarakhand after the pilgrimage to the shrine was halted due to heavy rain and landslides on the trekking route on Thursday. A temporary wooden bridge, built over the Markanda River, was washed away amid incessant rainfall in the area, causing further disruption to the yatra to the temple, according to a report by India Today.

Madhyamaheshwar shrine is part of the Panch Kedar group of temples in Uttarakhand and is located at an altitude of 11,473 feet.

Moreover, a cloudburst near the Yamunotri shrine also led to the swallowing of the Yamuna River, causing heavy damage to the shrine. The river water has reportedly reached the staircase of the temple. However, there is no report of casualty.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an 'orange alert' for Dehradun and Bageshwar, predicting moderate to heavy rainfall in the area. After the advisory, the local administration decided to close all schools and Anganwadi centers in the city on Friday (July 26).

Heavy overnight rain also flooded the Balganga River in the Boodha Kedar area of Uttarakhand's Tehri Garhwal district on Friday with the river water gushing into homes, inundating fields and damaging roads and bridges. 

"Heavy rain lashed the Jakhana, Toli and Genwali areas around midnight, causing a flash flood in the Balganga, which inundated roadside fields and homes," District Magistrate Mayur Dikshit said, as per a PTI report.

Some shops in villages were also damaged by the floodwater, he said.

However, there were no casualties as people living in houses close to the riverbanks quickly moved to safer locations, Dikshit added.

A revenue police team rushed to the flood-hit area, he said, and added that the extent of damage was being estimated. He also advised people living in the area to maintain a distance from the river.