Floodwaters swept away a car in Dehradun’s Vikasnagar area after the driver attempted to cross a submerged stretch of the Shimla Bypass Road near Sabhawala.
Dehradun, Uttarakhand – The fury of nature was once again on display in Uttarakhand on Sunday, when floodwaters swept away a car in Dehradun’s Vikasnagar area after the driver attempted to cross a submerged stretch of the Shimla Bypass Road near Sabhawala.
The overflowing rivers and streams, swollen by days of relentless rain, have turned many parts of the state into danger zones.
Eyewitnesses reported that while pedestrians stood back, wary of the gushing current, the driver of the ill-fated vehicle tried to push through.
Within moments, the powerful waters overwhelmed the car, dragging it downstream like a toy. Video footage of the incident shows the vehicle stalling midstream before being dislodged and swept away. Fortunately, locals rushed to the scene and managed to rescue the driver, preventing another tragedy.
Rainfall Records Shattered
The incident comes just days after Dehradun recorded over 200 mm of rainfall in a single day, the heaviest in more than seven decades.
The torrential downpour left vast areas submerged, with the Rispana, Song, Tons, and Bindal rivers swelling dangerously over their banks.
Low-lying colonies were inundated, homes waterlogged, and several roads turned into streams of mud and debris.
Authorities were forced to shut schools, suspend the Kedarnath Yatra, and issue orange and red alerts for multiple districts as landslides, uprooted trees, and overflowing streams severed road connectivity across the hill state.
A Wider Pattern of Weather Extremes
This was not an isolated event. Just last week, in Uttarkashi’s Dharali village, another car carrying passengers was caught in flash floods triggered by a sudden cloudburst.
The vehicle, captured on video, bobbed helplessly in the muddy torrent as onlookers shouted in panic. The scene highlighted how quickly such disasters unfold in the fragile Himalayan terrain.
Experts point out that Uttarakhand’s vulnerability has been exacerbated by changing weather patterns linked to climate change.
The frequency of cloudbursts, extreme rainfall events, and landslides has been rising sharply, leaving communities little time to respond. Traditional weather cycles are being disrupted, with monsoon downpours becoming more intense and unpredictable.
Lives Turned Upside Down
For residents of Uttarakhand, these events are not just freak accidents but part of a growing pattern that is reshaping daily life. Each spell of heavy rain now brings with it fear of road blockages, damaged homes, disrupted pilgrimages, and loss of livelihoods.
Tourists, pilgrims, and locals alike are left stranded, while authorities struggle to balance rescue operations with the challenge of rebuilding washed-out infrastructure.
As meteorologists warn of more intense spells in the coming weeks, the state remains on edge.
The back-to-back incidents of cars being swept away are a stark reminder that climate extremes are no longer distant threats but present-day realities, forcing Uttarakhand to live in constant negotiation with nature’s growing unpredictability.
(With inputs from agencies)
#UttarakhandFloods #Dehradun #ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #FlashFloods #Monsoon2025 #KedarnathYatra #Uttarkashi #IndiaWeather
