PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
Many houses were damaged and some collapsed due to heavy rainfall in Dehradun on Monday. At least three houses collapsed in the Deepnagar area while several others were damaged in the Nehru Colony area after a river embankment caved in.
A house collapsed in the Kanwali Road area and some structures also collapsed in the Maldevta area. Two houses in Brahmpuri Rohiyanagar and one house near Govindgarh bridge in Lakshman Chowk collapsed too, though no casualties were reported. The torrential downpour also swept away several cattle in the strong currents of local drains. Severe waterlogging hit multiple routes and inner colonies, disrupting traffic and flooding several homes.
The IT Park on Sahastradhara Road was also flooded by Monday afternoon. Water was also seen overflowing over the Bindal river bridge, causing long traffic snarls and leaving several commuters stuck for hours. Adding to the devastation, the Nalapani area witnessed a grim scene as several cattle were seen being swept away one after another in the strong current.
Some of the cattle struggled desperately to escape but the water’s force was so intense that no one dared to attempt a rescue. In another incident, the Tamsa river flowing beneath the Tapkeshwar temple in Dehradun swelled dangerously on Monday, flooding part of the temple premises. The rising water submerged a section of the temple, which usually sees heavy footfall on Mondays, especially during the monsoon season.
Authorities restricted public access to the temple surroundings as the river behind it continued to rise to alarming levels. The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) received only three complaints at its disaster management control room on Sunday but got at least 30 complaints of waterlogging and flooding inside homes by late evening. Considering the extent of the damage caused amid heavy rainfall, the senior officials from the police, district administration and MCD inspected the affected areas on the ground.
Dehradun senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh visited the Nehru Colony site and directed officials to immediately shift residents from sensitive areas to safer locations. Police teams were instructed to stay alert, patrol riverbanks, warn locals using loudspeakers and remain ready with rescue equipment for quick disaster response. The sub divisional magistrate Hari Giri also visited Deepnagar ward to check the extent of damage caused in the area.
Dehradun mayor Saurabh Thapliyal and municipal commissioner Namami Bansal also conducted surprise inspections in various heavily waterlogged-prone areas, including Prince Chowk, ISBT, Raipur and IT Park, following the red alert issued by the Meteorological centre. Bansal said that the MCD disaster control room received four waterlogging related complaints, for which water pumps were deployed immediately.
She stated that she has issued instructions to keep all officials on alert and present in the field and has asked the Irrigation department to respond quickly in case of embankment damage by deploying mechanical excavators and trolleys. The MCD has a 30-member disaster team, 12 water pumps, two excavator machines and six tractor trolleys to tackle emergencies. Citizens can report flood or emergency-related issues on helpline numbers 9286459167, 9286477117 and 18001804571 for immediate action, she added.
