One of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, Nainital, was cut off from the rest of Uttarakhand after heavy rains on Tuesday caused a series of landslides. Up to 35 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents, said CM Pushkar Singh Dhami.
Many people are feared to be trapped under the rubble after landslides razed many homes, particularly in the Kumaon area of the state.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) have teamed up to carry out rescue operations in flood areas.
Nainital cut off
Three roads leading to Nainital were closed on Tuesday due to a series of landslides. While the exits in the city are blocked, locals reported that the landslides also affected electricity, telecommunications and internet connections.
Videos and pictures from Nainital show a flooded Mall Road, a broken railway line in Haldwani and floods in the temple of Naina Devi. Locals stranded in their shops were also rescued from Nainital’s Bhowali Street on Tuesday.
In the event of heavy rain lashing Nainital, videos show the route to the iconic Boat House Club underwater. Likewise, pictures from inside the Boat House Club show flooded furniture.
Another video shows part of the Gaula Bridge in Haldwani being washed away due to a rise in the water level of the Gaula River. As Nainital continues to experience torrential rains, the water levels of the Shipra and Kosi rivers also rise.
Up to 200 tourists were rescued from the Lemon Tree Resort in Nainitals Ramnagar by Almora police. A video shows how the rescued tourists are taken to higher areas with tractors. Almora Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pankaj Bhatt said the local administration is closely monitoring the situation.
Tourists rescued from Lemon Tree Resort in Ramnagar | India today
Floods have also been reported at Wood Castle Resort and Hridyesh Resort in Ramnagar.
The Indian army rescued nearly two dozen people in Ramnagar’s village of Sunderkhal on Wednesday. The villagers have been stuck in the middle of an overflowing river for the past 48 hours and have now been rescued.
Girish Ranjan Tewari, Head of Department (HoD) of Journalism at Kumaun University in Nainital, told India Today, “Nainital has seen torrential rains in the past 48 hours.”
“In the past 24 hours, Nainital has seen record rainfall. The Nainital people never thought they would see anything like this,” he added.
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