Heavy Rain Causes Sukhi River to Flood, Sweeps Away Cars in Haridwar

Heavy rain lashed Haridwar on Saturday afternoon, resulting in the Sukhi River flooding and causing significant damage. The river, typically dry and often used as a parking area, overflowed and swept away numerous parked cars. The deluge also led to water entering homes and flooding major roads in the town.

Rising Ganga River Levels

Uttarakhand Police have issued advisories as the water level of the Ganga River rises amid the heavy rainfall in Haridwar. Police personnel have been on the ground, advising people to move their vehicles to designated parking areas to avoid further incidents. The police statement emphasized, “Due to heavy rains in Haridwar, the water level of Ganga has increased considerably. Some people had parked their vehicles near the dry Sukhi river instead of parking places, which started flowing into the Ganga river due to heavy rains.” Fortunately, no loss of life has been reported in the incident.

Public Response

As the waters rose, residents gathered on bridges near Har Ki Pauri, capturing the dramatic scenes of cars being carried away by the floodwaters on their phones. This unusual sight attracted significant attention, with many sharing videos and images on social media platforms.

Weather Forecast and Warnings

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted very heavy isolated rainfall in Uttarakhand from June 30 to July 3. A low-pressure system currently situated over the northwest Bay of Bengal, near the north Odisha-Gangetic West Bengal coasts, is contributing to the heavy rains. Additionally, cyclonic circulations have developed over northeast Rajasthan, eastern Uttar Pradesh bordering Bihar, and northwest Uttar Pradesh at lower tropospheric levels.

Monsoon Coverage

As of Friday, the southwest monsoon has covered the entire state of Uttarakhand. It has also advanced, covering the remaining parts of East Uttar Pradesh and extending into more areas of West Uttar Pradesh.

Safety Advisory

Uttarakhand Police have reiterated the importance of parking vehicles in designated areas to prevent similar incidents. “Please park your vehicles in the designated parking places only,” they advised the public, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of weather and river behavior during the monsoon season.