PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
About 2,500 tourists are stranded in Mussoorie, Dehradun district after heavy rainfall triggered flash floods and landslides on Tuesday. Heavy rainfall, landslides and flash floods damaged 62 roads and eight bridges in Dehradun district. Work on a Bailey bridge near Shiv temple on the Dehradun-Mussoorie road is underway to restore connectivity and transportation is expected to resume on Thursday, Mussoorie circle officer of police Neeraj Semwal said.
He informed that though about 2,500 tourists have been waiting to go to their respective cities after roads got damaged, they are not suffering in terms of stay, food or shelter. Hotel associations and homestays are not charging those for food and shelter who cannot afford to pay as per the administration’s order, the CO claimed. He said that police, in coordination with other departments, are ensuring that tourists do not face inconvenience. “It is expected that the Bailey bridge will be completed by Thursday morning and tourists can return to their cities. We will ensure smooth traffic flow accordingly,” Semwal added.
Public Works and Irrigation minister Satpal Maharaj also inspected the affected areas on Wednesday, including the damaged bridge near Shiv temple on the Dehradun-Mussoorie road, Kesarwala-Maldevta, Kumalda-Kaddu Khal and Khairi Man Singh roads. He directed officials to speed up restoration. He informed that five of the eight damaged bridges have been permanently restored and opened for traffic, while work continues on the remaining three.
Maharaj said that temporary work has started at NH-72 near Uttaranchal University, Jhajhra bridge through hume pipe diversion, and Karligad motor road bridge using gabions and filling. He said that traffic has been restored on 35 roads, while work continues on 27 more. He added that the PWD is working to reopen the 300-metre damaged stretch of the Maldevta-Kesarwala road.
He emphasised the need for river channelisation and directed the Irrigation, Disaster Management and Mining departments to coordinate to prevent water from entering residential areas. He also urged people to avoid construction near rivers and streams. Maharaj said the maximum damage occurred on Raipur, Kumalda-Kaddu Khal, Kesarwala, Khairi Man Singh, Sahastradhara and Mussoorie routes. He instructed officials to restore connectivity and essential facilities at the earliest.
