Nainital (Uttarakhand): The contact of more than a dozen villages, including Kilbari Pangot, Saud Bagad and others with Nainital has been snapped due to heavy rainfall accompanied by landslides in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. The heavy rainfall in the region triggered landslides, which further compounded the misery. People were facing hardships in the hill resort of Nainital. The landslide caused by heavy rains has blocked the road.
The movement of vehicular traffic on Kilbury, Pangoot Road near Polytechnic in Nainital has come to a grinding halt. The drinking water pipeline has also been dislocated due to the landslide affecting the water supply in various localities of Nainital city.
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Councilor Bhagwat Rawat said that cracks were appearing on the roads for a long time. "But the heavy rainfall completely damaged the road. We made several representations to the officials from the administration and Public Work Department to improve the condition of the roads. But, nothing happened. Hence, the only main road connecting the rural areas with the Nainital city was damaged when the rains hit the region. The damaged road was the lifeline for people living in rural areas."
Essential commodities, including milk and vegetables, were being transported through this road to Nainital city. Several vehicles were stranded due to the landslides. "People from rural areas were carrying vegetables and milk to the city when the landslide occurred. Fortunately, no untoward incident took place," said Rawat.
"It is the only road, which links Nainital City, with the rural areas. The land subsidence on one side of the road had started earlier, which picked up pace in recent days. On Monday, with a large sound the road caved in. The water supply pipeline was also damaged in the landslide," he added.
