PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun At least 15 persons died across the State due to heavy rains, flash floods and landslides on Tuesday. Dehradun bore the brunt of the disaster with at least 13 persons confirmed dead while 16 are still missing. The infrastructure also suffered major damage in Dehradun with a number of roads either damaged or washed away in addition to a few bridges also being damaged. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah called chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to enquire about the situation and assured the full support of the Centre to Uttarakhand in dealing with the disaster situation. According to officials, heavy rain was reported during the intervening night of Monday-Tuesday in the hills surrounding Dehradun. This led to flash floods in the Song, Tamasa, Rispana, Bandal and other streams including the popular tourist spot Sahastradhara. The flooding caused considerable damage to both government and private properties in various areas of Dehradun. According to official sources, several residential buildings, 13 shops, about a dozen hotels and restaurants, an Anganwadi centre and a Panchayat building along with a community hall sustained severe damage in the affected areas. The portion of a bridge leading to the Jhajhra area of Dehradun also collapsed while a stretch of the road to Maldevta was washed out by the deluge. A portion of the Dehradun-Haridwar highway was also partially damaged. Dehradun district magistrate Savin Bansal said that though some routes have been severely damaged, alternative routes are functional and have been mapped to ensure the supply of essential commodities to the affected areas. Meanwhile, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also inspected some of the disaster affected areas and interacted with the local residents, stressing that swift rescue and relief operations are the government’s top priority. Apart from the damage in Dehradun one person each died in Pithoragarh and Nainital districts while a portion of the Rishikesh-Chamba highway was also severely damaged.
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