Heavy rains lashed Dehradun district on Monday night, causing the Tamsa river to overflow and inundate Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple, one of the most prominent
temples in the city. Water entered the temple premises and reached the idol of Hanuman ji, though the sanctum sanctorum remained safe. According to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), three people stranded in the river have been rescued by the team, while several vehicles are still stranded in the floodwaters. Officials have urged residents to remain vigilant and avoid going near swollen rivers and streams.
CM inspected affected area
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inspected the disaster-affected area in Kesarwala, Maldevta area. A 100-meter-long road was washed away in Maldevta, Raipur, due to the flow of water triggered by heavy rains in the Sahastradhara area of Dehradun district.Temple priest Acharya Bipin Joshi said that the river started flowing heavily since morning, and the entire temple premises were submerged, according to news agency ANI.
"The river started flowing heavily since 5 AM, the entire temple premises were submerged... This kind of situation had not taken place in a very long time... Losses have been incurred at various places... People should avoid going near rivers at this time... The sanctum sanctorum of the temple is safe... No human loss has been reported as of now..." he said.
"Around 4:45 am, the water entered the cave... Later, when the water level started increasing, it rose to 10-12ft... The water reached above the 'Shivling'... Somehow, we made our way, and with the help of the rope, we came up..." he further added.
A local said, "Due to the strong flow of water, a lot of logs came floating, due to which the temple has faced a lot of damage... In this situation, everyone should stay away from the river..."
Meanwhile, officials said that heavy rains have also impacted Rishikesh, where the Chandrabhaga river has been flowing above normal levels since morning, with water reaching the highway.
