 "Residents look at a portion of a road that was washed away after heavy rains triggered a cloudburst, in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. PTI")
Dehradun woke up to scenes of chaos after a sudden cloudburst late Monday night turned parts of the city into rivers of mud and debris.
Torrential rain submerged homes in Tapovan, left entire stretches of Sahastradhara and the IT Park waterlogged, and washed away a key bridge.
Here’s a closer look at how the disaster unfolded, the destruction it left behind, and how rescue teams are battling to bring the city back on its feet.
The heavy downpour has caused river streams to swell to their limits.
The Tamsa River on Tuesday swelled and flooded the Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple, one of Dehradun’s most prominent shrines. Water entered the temple courtyard and rose up to the statue of Hanuman, though the sanctum remained safe.
Social media was soon flooded with videos showing the river in Sahastradhara raging with unusual force.
According to The Indian Express, at least five people were swept away in different parts of the city, including Tapkeshwar, DIT College area, Rajpur Shikhar Falls and Bhagat Singh Colony.
Two people are still reported missing, while hundreds have been shifted to safer places after streams burst their banks, damaging shops, homes, and restaurants.
One video captured a harrowing scene: about 10 labourers clinging to a tractor stranded in the middle of the raging river. From a distance, the men could be seen waving desperately for help as people on the banks scrambled to work out a rescue plan.
But before anything could be done, the swollen river overturned the tractor, sweeping the labourers away. Onlookers on the shore ran frantically, their screams echoing as the men vanished beneath the torrent.
Rescue teams have been working around the clock. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and Public Works Department (PWD) have all been deployed.
On Tuesday morning, SDRF personnel rescued around 200 students from the Devbhoomi Institute in Paunda after their campus was heavily waterlogged overnight, reported Hindustan Times. All students were safely evacuated.
The District Magistrate also ordered all schools in Dehradun, from Classes 1 to 12, to remain closed due to the worsening situation.
In Rishikesh, the Chandrabhaga river swelled dangerously, flooding the highway. SDRF teams rescued three people trapped in the river, though several vehicles remain stuck.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert around 5 am on Tuesday, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms with lightning, and spells of extremely intense rain.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) also flagged the heightened risk of landslides and flash floods in sensitive parts of the district.
“In view of the current weather across the district, there is an increased likelihood of landslides and flash floods in sensitive areas, which may lead to untoward incidents,” District Magistrate Savin Bansal said in a circular citing the IMD forecast.
Meanwhile, in Dehradun, infrastructure has taken a heavy hit. A bridge at Maldevta was washed away, blocking traffic, while debris from landslides has choked sections of the Mussoorie–Dehradun Road. Authorities have advised tourists not to use the route until it is cleared.
A portion of the Premnagar bridge on the Dehradun–Paonta National Highway also collapsed, bringing traffic to a standstill on that route.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the affected areas on Tuesday, accompanied by MLAs and senior officials. He later confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him of full cooperation from the Centre, saying the Union government “stands firmly with Uttarakhand in this hour of disaster.”
Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke to Dhami, promising every possible assistance from the Home Ministry to support relief and rescue operations.
With input from agencies