Dehradun cloudburst: Warning for tourists visiting Mussoorie's Kempty falls as swollen rivers wash away bridges

A cloudburst occurred in Raipur block in the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand in the early hours of Saturday. A bridge over the Song river was washed away and the Kempty Falls, a popular tourist spot near Mussoorie, was flowing dangerously.

Pic courtesy: ANI

Dehradun: Torrential downpours and cloudbursts in Uttarakhand have led to major flooding and waterlogging in several parts of the state with tourists being told to stay away from certain places. A cloudburst occurred in Raipur block in the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand in the early hours of Saturday. The cloudburst was reported by locals at 2.45 am on Saturday in Sarkhet village in Raipur block.  "Due to the continuous torrential rains since yesterday, the Tamasa river flowing near the famous Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple in Dehradun has taken a formidable form. Due to this, the contact of Mata Vaishno Devi Cave Yoga Temple and Tapkeshwar Mahadev has been lost, the pool has also been damaged. By the grace of God, there has been no loss of life or property," said Acharya Bipin Joshi, the founder of the temple. Meanwhile, heavy rainfall triggered flash floods near Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra town in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

#WATCH | River Tamasa in spate near Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple in Dehradun following continuous rains in the area#Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/Okxa0otY7N — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) August 20, 2022

In view of the heavy rains and flash floods, the upward movement of devotees in Mata Vaishno Devi temple was stopped for some time. A warning was issued for another popular tourist destination near Mussoorie - Kempty Falls. A bridge over the Song river was washed away and the Kempty Falls, a popular tourist spot near Mussoorie, was flowing dangerously, the officials told PTI. "Kempty Falls in Mussoorie is in spate due to torrential rains. As a precautionary measure by the local police, the shopkeepers and tourists have been removed from there. Tourists are requested not to go towards the waterfall," Uttarakhand Police said as per ANI.

#WATCH | Kempty Falls in Mussoorie is in spate due to torrential rains. As a precautionary measure by the local police, the shopkeepers and tourists have been removed from there. Tourists are requested not to go towards the waterfall: Uttarakhand Police pic.twitter.com/AAOvnAsJU4 — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) August 19, 2022

Mud entered homes in over a dozen villages following the cloudburst, prompting the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to shift the affected people to safe locations. The affected villages include Maldevta, Bhutsi, Tauliyakatal, Thatyud, Lavarkha, Ringalgadh, Dhuttu, Ragad Gaon and Sarkhet, according to the officials. The affected residents have been shifted to schools and panchayat buildings, said Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Dhanolti, Lakshmi Raj Chauhan. The Raipur-Kumalda motor road has been blocked due to debris at a number of places, he said. The Rishikesh-Badrinath highway is blocked at Totaghati, the Rishikesh-Gangotri highway is blocked at Nagni, and the Narendranagar-Ranipokhri motor road is blocked at several points, Chauhan said.


(With Agency inputs)