Snow avalanche alert in high altitude areas of Uttarkhand

DEHRADUN: An alert has been sounded in the high-altitude districts of Uttarakhand after a warning from Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment Chandigarh about its possibility in areas located above 2,500 metres in the hill state.

Avalanche activity may take place in the higher reaches of the hills of Chamoli, Tehri, Pauri, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag and Pithoragarh districts from February 1-3, State Disaster Management, Mitigation and Control office informed here today.

The alert was sounded following a communication from the centre at Chandigarh yesterday, a DMMC spokesman said.

As per SASE communication, areas above 2,500 metres in the state will remain prone to snow avalanches in the specified time-frame, he said.

The administration in these districts is on the alert. Residents of villages located in high altitudes of these districts have been asked not to venture out during the specified period.

They have also been asked to clean snow deposits on their rooftops on a regular basis to avoid damages, he said.

This is the second such alert for the high altitude districts of Uttarakhand in less than a month.

A similar alert had been sounded in these districts earlier this month also following a communication from the Centre predicting snow avalanches in ares located above 2,500 feet from January 21-23.