On Monday night , heavy rains lashed out which caused the Tamsa river to overflow which led to the overflow and flooded the premishes of Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple, which is known as the city’s most reknowned shrines.
Heavy rains began late Monday night and continued into Tuesday,flododing multiple parts of Dehradun. The cloudburst likely occurred on the outskirts or upstream catchment areas, increasing runoff into the Tamsa and Sahastradhara rivers. In addition several tributaries and rivulets (such as the Karligaad stream) overflowed, compounding the flooding in the city’s low-lying and temple areas.
By around 5a.m., the Tamsa river had swelled significantly, and floodwaters inundated the courtyard of the Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple. Water levels rose up to the Hanuman statue near the entrance , submerging much of the temple premises. Fortunately, the inner sanctum of the temple remained untouched by floodwaters. Temple authorities and priests reported that such an extreme rise had not been seen in the last 25-30 years .
Around the Sahastradhara , markets,hotels and shops were severely damaged . Debris from overflowing water swept into commercial areas. A bridge on the Dehradun Haridwar National collapsed due to floodwaters, disrupting connectivity. Roads were washed away at multiple places. Relief teams from the State Disaster Force(SDRF), National Disaster Response Force(NDRF), and other agencies conducted rescue operations. Around 300-400 people were evacuated from affected areas. Students were trapped due to waterlogging were rescued from institute campuses.
At around five people have been swept away across various locations including Tapkeshwar temple itself, it has been reported that the temple priests and residents in that area are safe.
A red alert has been issued by the India Meterological Department(IMD) for Dehradun, warning of continued heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and strong winds. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited affected areas are being coordinating rescue operations. He assured that were will be full support from the state government.PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have been informed and they have assured assistance.
