Uttarakhand: Bailey bridge washed away in flood, BRO driver missing

Gopeshwar/Dehradun: A Bailey bridge over the Tamak drain connecting Uttarakhand’s Niti Valley was washed away by floodwaters on Monday evening, snapping road connectivity to around a dozen villages and the border area, while a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) driver went missing after being swept away by the strong current, officials said.

The bridge, located on the Malari-Niti National Highway connecting Jyotirmath (Joshimath) with the border area, was washed away following a sudden rise in the water level of the Tamak drain, Chamoli District Disaster Management Officer N K Joshi told PTI. A vehicle was also swept away in the flooded drain, officials said.

Jyotirmath Tehsildar Mahendra Arya said BRO driver Pankaj, a resident of Pithoragarh district, was swept away after the bridge suddenly collapsed while he was observing the floodwaters. He remained missing, he said.

Relief and rescue teams from the district administration, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were dispatched to the site following the incident, officials said.

The bridge collapse has cut off road connectivity to around a dozen villages, including Jumma and Niti, as well as the border area. Vehicular movement has been suspended from Malari as a precautionary measure, while administrative teams are assessing the situation, officials said.

The BRO has started work on alternative arrangements and traffic is expected to be restored within a day or two, Joshi said. For the past several years, the Joshimath-Niti road has been disrupted by floods and landslides in the Tamak drain. Flood debris has also repeatedly blocked the nearby Dhauli Ganga. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed officials to undertake relief and rescue operations and take precautionary measures in the lower areas following the flooding. He also directed officials to ensure that supplies of ration, food, medicines and other essential commodities to surrounding villages are not affected due to the bridge being washed away.

In view of the possibility of increased water flow into the Alaknanda River, authorities have advised people living along its banks and in low-lying areas to remain vigilant. Police are making announcements asking people to stay away from rivers and drains. Meanwhile, the Flash Flood Guidance Cell of the Meteorological Department’s Hydrometeorological Division has issued a flash flood risk bulletin for Uttarakhand for the next 24 hours.

The bulletin said mild to moderate flash floods are possible in some catchment and surrounding areas of 12 districts, including Almora, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Haridwar, Nainital, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, and Pauri Garhwal, until 5:30 pm on Tuesday.

State Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said the state’s disaster management system was on full alert based on advance warnings from the Meteorological Department and other technical agencies. He appealed to residents and tourists to avoid unnecessary travel during inclement weather and stay away from rivers, streams, ravines and rainwater channels.