At-risk families relocated in Kanchanpur as Dhauliganga dam opening puts Mahakali banks on alert

With the risk of heavy rain, around 9 families have been relocated from Patrakhalla in Dodhara Chandani Municipality-3, Kanchanpur.

According to Tek Rawat, information officer at the District Police Office, Kanchanpur, the families were moved to the nearby ward office and Jamunaghadi School over concerns that water from the Jogbudha River could enter the settlement. Food grains and livestock were also relocated with help from the Armed Police Force and local residents.

Residents of ward no. 10, Kutiyakabar, have also kept food, first-aid supplies and documents in a safe house. Rawat said the Mahakali River's flow currently stands at about 34,000 cusecs, and all three security agencies in the district have been placed on high alert.

The Armed Police Force has kept rescue teams with rubber boats ready at Punarbas, Belauri, Devisthan in Dodhara Chandani, Majhgaun in Bhimdatta and Shuklaphanta. The District Administration Office has urged residents in riverside and flood-prone areas to take necessary precautions.

Meanwhile, the dam at India's Dhauliganga hydropower project in Uttarakhand will be opened for silt clearance from midnight Sunday to 10am Monday. Baitadi Chief District Officer Meena Aryal urged riverside residents not to go near the riverbank, as the Mahakali's water level could rise.