Heavy rain has pushed the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers higher in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district, and officials are watching closely for signs the water could near danger levels in the coming days.
The Alaknanda rose from 622 metres above sea level on Tuesday to 622.5 metres on Wednesday, after steady rain since Wednesday morning.
Where the danger line sits
Nandan Singh Rajwar, the district disaster management officer, said the river currently stands at 622 metres. The warning level is 626 metres, and the danger level is 627 metres.
“When the water level approaches the warning level, alerts are sent out via WhatsApp groups, announcements are made using vehicles, and personnel go to the ground to warn people,” Rajwar said.
He added that once the river crosses the warning mark, the administration will repeat that process: WhatsApp alerts, loudspeaker announcements, and disaster teams moving through vulnerable areas.
Five districts under orange alert
The India Meteorological Department has placed five districts on orange alert — Nainital, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal and Udham Singh Nagar — for light to moderate rain and thunderstorms.
The IMD’s Dehradun office has separately issued a heavy rainfall alert for Rudraprayag through July 4. The district administration has asked residents to stay away from rivers, streams and landslide-prone areas until the alert lifts.
Monsoon reached Uttarakhand on June 30 and turned active statewide by Wednesday, bringing intermittent rain to Dehradun and other areas.
Roads blocked, pilgrim route shut
The rain has already disrupted travel. Falling debris and stones have hit traffic on the Badrinath National Highway in Chamoli district and along the Kedarnath Yatra route in Rudraprayag.
Officials suspended vehicle and pedestrian movement on the Sonprayag-Munkatiya road as a precaution, to keep pilgrims out of harm’s way.
The District Disaster Control Room is tracking water levels in both rivers as inflows from the upper Himalayas continue to rise.
State reviews its readiness
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday reviewed a pre-monsoon mock drill run out of the State Emergency Operations Centre in Dehradun. The drill covered all 13 districts and tested coordination between departments ahead of the monsoon season.
For now, the rivers sit five metres below warning level. The next few days of rain will decide whether that gap holds.
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