Weather News: In the wake of heavy monsoon showers lashing the northern state of Uttarakhand, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert, prompting the state government to take immediate action to ensure the safety of its citizens.
Responding to the weather department's dire prediction, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has instructed the District Magistrates of all the affected districts to remain vigilant. The IMD's forecast indicates heavy to very heavy rainfall in nine districts of the state, a cause for concern.
Further, the Chief Minister has directed Vinod Kumar Suman, the Secretary of the Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department, alongside other officials, to maintain a close watch over all the districts from the State Emergency Operations Center of the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA).
In light of the heavy rainfall forecast over the Garhwal division, the Char Dham Yatra has been postponed for July 7, as reported by the news agency ANI. Vinay Shankar Pandey, the Garhwal Commissioner, has also issued orders restricting vehicular movement on the Badrinath National Highway in Chamoli district due to the accumulation of debris at multiple locations.
According to a post on X by the Chamoli Police, the Badrinath National Highway has been blocked due to debris near Bhanerpani, old Nagar Panchayat Pipalkoti, Kanchen Ganga, Chhinka Paagalnala, and Helang in Chamoli district.
Beyond the red alert in Uttarakhand, the meteorological department has also issued orange warnings for the possibility of heavy rains in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh.
Interestingly, the heavy rainfall experienced across large parts of India in the first week of July has made up for the 11 percent deficit recorded in June, pushing the total monsoon precipitation into the surplus category, as reported by the PTI.