Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami directed officials to be on high alert amid heavy rainfall warnings from the IMD. Red and Orange alerts are in place for several districts, with a focus on citizen safety and halting the Char Dham Yatra if needed.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday directed officials to remain on high alert and ensure the safety of citizens in view of continuous rainfall across the state and the India Meteorological Department's warning of heavy rain over the coming days with Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman. The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that the safety of citizens remains the top priority and instructed all departments to work in close coordination and remain on high alert to effectively respond to any potential disaster or emergency.
Preparedness Review and IMD Alerts
Following the Chief Minister's directions, Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman conducted a comprehensive review at the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) of the rainfall situation across the state, weather forecasts, road connectivity, river water levels, and ongoing relief and rescue operations. He instructed all departments to take the IMD's weather warnings with utmost seriousness, remain on 24x7 alert, and ensure immediate response to any emergency situation. According to officials, the IMD has issued a Red Alert for Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar and Champawat districts on July 10, while Orange Alerts have been issued for Pauri Garhwal, Dehradun and Bageshwar districts. In view of these warnings, all District Magistrates, Police, SDRF, Public Works Department, Drinking Water, Power, Health and other concerned departments have been directed to maintain maximum preparedness.
Special Directives for Char Dham Yatra
The Disaster Management Secretary said that the Chief Minister has issued specific directions regarding the Char Dham Yatra. Pilgrims should be stopped at designated safe locations wherever weather conditions deteriorate or travel becomes hazardous due to heavy rainfall. Holding points must be equipped with adequate arrangements for food, drinking water, medicines, milk for children, sanitation facilities, accommodation and other essential services. Pilgrims should be allowed to resume their journey only after weather conditions improve and the route is declared completely safe.
Safety Measures for Vulnerable Areas
Officials have also been instructed to prioritise the safety of people living near rivers, seasonal streams and landslide-prone areas. If required, vulnerable families should be shifted immediately to safer locations, and adequate safety measures must be ensured for workers at construction sites, and construction activities should be temporarily suspended wherever necessary, with workers relocated to safe places.
Infrastructure and Resource Deployment
During the review meeting, the Disaster Management Secretary also assessed the status of roads, drinking water supply, electricity services and other essential infrastructure affected by the rainfall. He directed officials to ensure the advance deployment of JCBs, Poklain machines, other necessary equipment and manpower at vulnerable locations to enable swift restoration and emergency response. (ANI)
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