Bhagirathi in spate, alert sounded in Uttarkashi

With the Bhagirathi river in spate following heavy rains over the past two days, an alert was sounded today in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district which was one of the worst hit during last year's flash floods.
"It has rained heavily in the district over the past two days and the Bhagirathi river is flowing just two metres down the danger mark at 1102 metres. So an alert has been sounded and authorities have been asked to keep a watch," Uttarkashi District Magistrate Shridhar Babu Addanki told PTI on phone.
Tiloth, Purikher and Valmiki basti have been identified as the three vulnerable areas where a special vigil is being maintained, he said.

However, there is no need to panic as the administration is fully alert and prepared to deal with any eventuality, the official said.
"The alert is a precautionary measure as we don't want to take any chances with last year's catastrophic flash floods in the backdrop," he said.
Uttarkashi was one of the most badly affected districts in Uttarakhand apart from Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts in last year's deluge.