High alert in UP as glacier breaks off in neighbouring Uttarakhand

The glacier burst triggered a massive flood in the Dhauli Ganga river and caused large-scale devastation in the upper reaches of the ecologically fragile Himalaya

An alert was sounded in all the 27 districts situated on the bank of the Ganga river in Uttar Pradesh after an avalanche following a glacial burst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, about 650 kilometres from here, on Sunday morning caused massive flooding and damaged two hydropower projects on Rishiganga and Dhauliganga rivers.

Track live news updates from Uttarakhand floods here

According to the official sources here, all the district magistrates have been asked to monitor the situation round-the-clock and take immediate precautionary measures.

UP minister for water resources, Mahendra Singh said here that the irrigation department engineers had been directed to open the gates of all the dams to allow smooth flow of water in the event of a sudden rise in the water levels in the Ganga.

''We are maintaining a close vigil and monitoring the situation....the administration is also on the alert in Prayagraj, Farrukhabad and Garh Mukteshwar, where pilgrims have gathered on the occasion of Maagh Mela (an annual religious event),'' said a senior official of the irrigation department here.

The officials said that the people residing near the river bank were being alerted. ''We have also asked the boatmen, fishermen and others to avoid going into the river,'' he added.

Read | Glacier breaks in Uttarakhand's Chamoli

The Ganga river, which originates at Gangotri in Uttarakhand, enters UP at Bijnore district, which was close to Haridwar. ''We are in regular touch with the Uttarakhand officials,'' he said.

The glacial burst damaged two hydropower projects on Rishiganga and Dhauliganga rivers and caused massive flooding in the rivers downstream. About 150 workers at the two projects were reported to be missing.