Though no major disaster was reported from disaster- prone areas of the State, a portion of the vital railway bridge across the Sukharo river in Kotdwar was dismantled by the authorities as a precautionary measure to prevent the bridge from collapsing due to the force of the river’s current intensified by flooding.
This bridge had been closed to railway traffic earlier after July 20 when one of the pillars of the bridge sank lower due to loosening of the ground around it’s foundation due to rampant illegal quarrying activities among other factors.
With rainfall being experienced in the mountainous regions nearby and force of flood waters damaging the structural integrity, the authorities on Thursday dismantled one portion of the bridge resting upon the damaged pillar to prevent the bridge from collapsing. Officials state that repair work will have to be undertaken after the monsoon so the rail traffic here is expected to be put on hold for about one month.
Elsewhere in the State, various parts of the state were reported to have experienced spells of light to medium rain on Friday. According to information provided by the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), one person was reportedly injured at Junglechatti in Rudraprayag district due to a landslide on July 29 at about 10 am.
In Uttarkashi district, the total number of human casualties was reduced from five to four after inquiry established that one of the fatalities had been caused by an accident and not natural disaster.
The routes to the Char Dham shrines are prone to frequent landslides and other issues depending on the weather with officials on alert to facilitate clearing of debris and reopening of roads as soon as possible in case of a landslide.