The damage caused by flood in a river in Galjwadi village in Sahaspur block in Dehradun district has elicited focus on the threat faced by settlements on the banks of rivers in Uttarakhand. Though there was no human fatality due to the flood which occurred on Monday night, a temple said to be 50-year-old and three cows were lost to the rising waters of the river.
The waters of the Baruni river began to rise on Monday night following heavy rain in the hills. The water soon breached the banks and swept away a Devi temple said to be 50 years old along with a cow shed with three bovines in it. locals living near the river in Indiranagar Galjwadi shifted to safer locations in the night but the rising waters abated after an hour. The villagers believe that boulders brought by the current even during the monsoon last year were responsible for altering the current of the river in spate. However, this incident has once again elicited focus on the threat faced in areas developed along river banks.
Many important government buildings have been constructed on the banks of rivers in different parts of Dehradun which in turn has made it hard for the authorities to act against illegal constructions along riverbanks, many of which have been facilitated by politicians to gain voters. Apart from the unauthorised buildings, there are many which have been approved by the authorities.