Kedarnath Cloudburst | 01 Aug 2024
Why in News?
Recently, A cloudburst in Kedarnath caused significant damage, leading to a sharp rise in the Mandakini River's water level in Sonprayag.
- Emergency services have been placed on high alert as authorities are concerned that between 150 to 200 pilgrims may be stranded in Kedarnath.
Key Points
- The cloudburst triggered a landslide along the Kedarnath walking path, damaging about 30 meters of the route, leading to its temporary closure for safety reasons.
- Heavy rainfall in Haridwar caused widespread flooding. Areas like Bhupatwala, Haridwar, Naya Haridwar, Kankhal, and Jwalapur have been severely affected.
- The Regional Meteorological Center has issued a red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall across seven districts in Uttarakhand.
The Mandakini River
- It is a tributary of the Alaknanda River in Uttarakhand.
- The river runs for approximately 81 kilometers between the Rudraprayag and Sonprayag areas and emerges from the Chorabari Glacier.
- The Mandakini merges with river Songanga at Sonprayag and flows past the Madhyamaheshwar temple at Ukhimath.
- At the end of its course it drains into the Alaknanda, which flows into the Ganges.