Dehradun on Red Alert as heavy rain triggers cloudburst, Tamsa river overflows | 10 updates

Dehradun on red alert: Dehradun was placed under a red alert on Tuesday morning after heavy rainfall triggered a cloudburst, causing the Tamsa river to overflow and flood parts of the city. Here are 10 updates:

IMD warns

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of extremely heavy downpours in Dehradun and Tehri Garhwal till 9 am, along with thunderstorms and gusty winds of up to 87 km/h.

Tapkeshwar temple submerged

Dramatic visuals from Dehradun showed the Tamsa river in full spate, submerging the Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple, a revered pilgrimage site. Temple priest Acharya Bipin Joshi said the water level began rising around 5 am, flooding the entire temple premises.

Temple priest statement

“This kind of situation has not taken place in a very long time. Losses have been incurred at various places… people should avoid going near rivers. The sanctum sanctorum remains safe and no casualties have been reported,” Joshi told ANI.

CM Dhami Reviews Situation

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed damages in Sahastradhara and said rescue and relief operations were underway.

“Some shops have been damaged due to heavy rains in Sahastradhara, Dehradun, late last night. District administration, SDRF, and police have reached the spot and are engaged in relief and rescue operations. I am personally monitoring the situation,” he posted on X.

Heavy rainfall:15mm per hour

According to the HT report, under the red alert, the city is likely to witness heavy rainfall of over 15 mm per hour, along with thunderstorms with gusty winds speeding up to 62-87 kmph.

Bridge damaged

Due to the heavy rainfall since last night, the bridge near Fun Valley and Uttarakhand Dental College on the Dehradun–Haridwar National Highway has been damaged, ANI reported.

River Sahastradhara flooded

River Sahastradhara has been flooded due to heavy rains in Dehradun since last night. Debris came into the main market, causing damage to hotels and shops.

The Chandrabhaga River in Rishikesh overflows

The Chandrabhaga River in Rishikesh has been in spate since this morning, causing water to reach the highway. Three people stranded in the river were rescued by the SDRF team, while several vehicles remain stuck in the water.

Locals verdict

A local says, “Due to the strong flow of water, a lot of logs came floating, due to which the temple has faced a lot of damage... In this situation, everyone should stay away from the river...”

Cloudbursts Common in Hilly Terrain

Cloudbursts are not unusual in the Himalayan region during monsoons. Just last week, a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district buried 10 vehicles and damaged crops.

In August, a massive cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Dharali village led to large-scale destruction and fatalities, drawing comparisons to the 2021 Chamoli disaster that claimed more than 200 lives.