A Bailey bridge over the Tamak drain in Uttarakhand’s Niti Valley was washed away by floodwaters on Monday evening, snapping road connectivity to around a dozen villages and the border area. The bridge, located on the Malari-Niti National Highway connecting Jyotirmath (Joshimath) with the border area, was washed away following a sudden rise in the water level of the Tamak drain.
A Border Roads Organisation (BRO) driver, Pankaj, a resident of Pithoragarh district, went missing after being swept away by the strong current. He was observing the floodwaters when the bridge suddenly collapsed. A vehicle was also swept away in the flooded drain. Relief and rescue teams from the district administration, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were dispatched to the site following the incident.
The bridge collapse has cut off road connectivity to around a dozen villages, including Jumma and Niti, as well as the border area. Vehicular movement has been suspended from Malari as a precautionary measure, while administrative teams are assessing the situation. The BRO has started work on alternative arrangements and traffic is expected to be restored within a day or two.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed officials to undertake relief and rescue operations and take precautionary measures in the lower areas following the flooding. He also directed officials to ensure that supplies of ration, food, medicines and other essential commodities to surrounding villages are not affected due to the bridge being washed away.
The Flash Flood Guidance Cell of the Meteorological Department’s Hydrometeorological Division has issued a flash flood risk bulletin for Uttarakhand for the next 24 hours, warning of mild to moderate flash floods in some catchment and surrounding areas of 12 districts. State Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said the state’s disaster management system was on full alert based on advance warnings from the Meteorological Department and other technical agencies.
