Uttarakhand Rains: Bridge Washed Away As Jummagad River Floods Chamoli, Contact Lost With Border Villages

Following this, the Indo-Tibet border road was blocked and connectivity with over a dozen border villages has also been lost. Flooding in Jummagad river flowing near the Jumma village, nearly 45 kilometres from Joshimath continued till late Monday night, during which the bridge collapsed.

The exact reason for the abrupt flooding in the river is not yet known, however, it is speculated that landslides in the upper reaches could have stopped the flow of the river, resulting in flooding when the water flow found a release later, as reported by PTI.

According to the Chamoli district administration, motor connectivity to Kaga, Garpak, Kosa, Malari, Dronagiri, Jellum, Mahargaon, Kailashpur, Prakiya, Bampa, Gamshali, and Neeti villages, was cut off after the bridge washed away in the flood. The motor connectivity in these villages has been cut off as they all lie beyond the Jumma village. Road transport to border outposts has also come to a halt.

For a long time, the flood water remained above the Joshimath-Malari road, which had earlier stood several metres above the river. According to the eyewitnesses, mud and heavy stones were also flowing in the flooded river, as reported by news agency PTI.

Locals are also worried about the possibility of hydropower projects in the area, saying that it will intensify floods in the area. Meanwhile, State Chief Secretary Sukhbir Singh Sandhu recently meet officials of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to discuss the construction of a large hydropower project that has been put on hold since the 2013 floods.

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and took stock of the situation. He also assured all possible help to the state government on behalf of the Central government. An orange alert was issued in all the districts of the state on Tuesday as the water level rose in major rivers including the Ganga.