Rivers on Alert! Rudraprayag Faces Flood Threat as IMD Warns
Continuous rainfall in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district has pushed up the water levels of the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers, prompting local authorities to stay on high alert and keep a close watch on the situation. There are growing concerns that both rivers could edge closer to the danger mark in the coming days.
Following steady rain since Wednesday morning, the Alaknanda river's water level climbed from 622 metres above sea level on Tuesday to 622.5 metres by Wednesday.
The monsoon set in over Uttarakhand on June 30 and had turned active across the state by Wednesday, bringing intermittent showers to several regions, including the capital, Dehradun.
The India Meteorological Department has issued orange alerts for five districts — Nainital, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal and Udham Singh Nagar — where light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms is expected.
Officials said river levels are being tracked closely as inflow increases from the upper Himalayan catchment areas. According to local official Rajwar, the current water level stands at 622 metres, while the warning threshold is set at 626 metres and the danger threshold at 627 metres.
He explained that once water levels approach the warning mark, alerts are pushed out through WhatsApp groups, public announcements are made via loudspeaker-equipped vehicles, and ground personnel are deployed to warn residents in vulnerable pockets. The same response protocol will kick in if the rivers reach the warning level.
Given the fast-changing conditions, the District Disaster Control Room is maintaining continuous monitoring of both rivers.
IMD's Warning for Uttarakhand
The IMD's Dehradun office has issued a heavy rainfall alert for Rudraprayag valid until July 4, with district officials urging residents to stay cautious. People have been advised to keep away from rivers, streams and landslide-prone zones, and to follow official advisories throughout the heavy-rain period.
The ongoing spell has also disrupted road transport across parts of the state. Traffic has been hit on the Badrinath National Highway in Chamoli district and along the Kedarnath Yatra route in Rudraprayag, where falling debris and loose rocks from the hillsides have created hazards.
As a precaution, authorities have temporarily halted vehicle and pedestrian movement on the Sonprayag-Munkatiya road to protect the safety of pilgrims travelling the route.
Amid the evolving monsoon situation, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed a state-level pre-monsoon mock drill conducted at the State Emergency Operations Centre in Dehradun on Thursday. The drill, carried out across all 13 districts, was designed to strengthen disaster preparedness, improve coordination between departments, and evaluate how effectively the state's emergency response systems function.
