‘Orange Alert’ of weather in Uttarakhand: Rain and hailstorm can become a disaster on May 4 and 5.

Dehradun: Once again the weather is going to change in Uttarakhand and this time this change can have a huge impact from the mountains to the plains. India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of heavy rain, hailstorm and strong winds in many parts of the state on May 4 and 5. After this warning from the Meteorological Department, the government and administration have come on full alert mode. The State Emergency Operation Center (SEOC) has sent a letter to all the District Magistrates instructing them to be prepared to deal with every situation.

Actually, this seasonal movement occurring in the first week of May can create problems for tourists and local people. Meteorological Department has issued warning for seven districts of the state including Dehradun. Orange Alert Has been released. In these areas, not only is there a possibility of lightning, but gusty winds blowing at a speed of 40 to 50 kilometers per hour can also cause huge damage.

The harshest form of weather will be seen in these districts

According to the Meteorological Department, the days of 4th and 5th May are going to be very sensitive for Uttarakhand. The maximum impact of the weather can be seen in districts like Dehradun, Tehri, Haridwar, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar. There is a possibility of hailstorm and heavy rain at some places in these areas. Strong winds blowing in the plains can damage trees and electric poles, due to which local people have been advised to stay in safe places.

Apart from this, there will be an ‘Orange Alert’ of heavy rain and hailstorm in the upper parts of the mountains i.e. Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh on May 5. In fact, this time is very busy in terms of tourism and travel in Uttarakhand, so the warning of bad weather has increased the concerns of the administration. ‘Yellow alert’ has also been issued for other parts of the state from May 2 to 6, which means the weather will remain bad in the entire state.

Trekking banned and department on alert mode

Secretary of Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department, Vinod Kumar Suman said that strict instructions have been given to all the districts to maintain high vigilance. The Secretary has clarified that in case of any disaster, the ‘response time’ should be minimum so that loss of life and property can be prevented. Especially the ongoing trekking activities in the mountainous areas have been asked to be controlled. It is being told that disaster management teams (SDRF/NDRF) have been asked to remain deployed in sensitive areas.

The priority of the administration is to keep the roads open. In this regard, Public Works Department (PWD), BRO, National Highways and PMGSY have been alerted. Instructions have been given that if roads are closed due to heavy rains or landslides, they should be opened immediately with the help of machines and manpower.

Instructions to keep communication channels active

Generally, the biggest challenge during a disaster is to maintain the communication system. Keeping this in mind, the government has asked all the officers to keep their mobiles and communication mediums on at all times. Officials up to the village level have been instructed to remain active so that if any untoward incident occurs, its information reaches the control room immediately.

Along with this, guidelines have also been issued regarding the safety of children in schools. Officials have been instructed to keep disaster equipment and resources fully prepared in their areas. Local people and tourists have also been appealed to avoid unnecessary travel during bad weather and take shelter in safe places only.

Overall, the coming two-three days may prove to be a testing time for Uttarakhand. Only the promptness of the administration and caution of the public can reduce the impact of this possible natural disaster.