Bridge linking Army Camp with district headquarters caves in Uttarakhand's Kotdwar

The bridge connecting the Army camp in Uttarakhand's Kotdwar with the district headquarters has collapsed due to strong river currents.

Kotdwar (Uttarakhand): The floodwaters have left behind a trail of destruction in Uttarakhand's Kotdwar. A bridge connecting the Victoria Cross Gabbar Singh Army Camp in Kotdwar was damaged completely snapping the camp's link with district headquarters. The Kotdwar region in the state was battered by heavy rains for the past several days leading to flooding in the low-lying areas. The only bridge over the Paniyali River in Kotdwar's Kauriyan linking the Army Camp with the rest of the state collapsed due to the strong river currents. The span of the bridge subsided and it came crashing down on the riverbed.

The Paniyali river originating from Lansdowne Forest Range in Kotdwar was flowing menacingly due to the heavy downpour in its catchment area. The strong currents in the river inundated several low-lying areas. Several houses were damaged in the residential areas, bridges were washed away and some drowning cases were also reported. Ward councillor of the Kotdwar Municipal Corporation, Subhash Pandey, said, "The contact of the Army Camp with the district headquarters was snapped due to the collapse of the bridge. The situation is miserable and people are facing hardships. The floodwaters entered several houses situated in low-lying areas."

"At least 300 families staying in residential areas, including Kauriyan Basti, have been affected by floodwaters. The floodwaters containing slush and mud have entered several homes and streets. Apart from this, about 4-5 feet deep slush was lying in the houses. The relief and rehabilitation measures were yet to be started by the district administration."

Altogether seven people had been killed in the 2017 and 2019 floods when the Paniyali River was in spate. Municipal workers have begun removing debris and slush from the streets for making them motorable.