Uttarakhand BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni on Thursday shared a frightening video on social media that captured the moment he narrowly escaped a massive landslide during his visit to one of the disaster-hit areas of the state. The clip shows Baluni standing on a road stretch when suddenly, a portion of the hillside gives way, collapsing violently under the impact of incessant rainfall.
In his post, Baluni described the video as a stark reminder of the scale of destruction Uttarakhand has been enduring this monsoon season. He said that the relentless rains and repeated landslides have left “deep wounds” across the state—damages that will take years to recover from. Sharing his concern, he wrote, “I am sharing a horrific scene of a landslide in the disaster-affected area from last evening. I pray to Baba Kedarnath for the safety, good health, and prosperity of everyone.”
The MP also praised the dedication of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel, along with local administration and workers, who continue to risk their lives to help residents in distress. “In this hour of disaster, I commend their service. They are standing with the people even in these testing circumstances,” he added.
The state of Uttarakhand has been reeling under the impact of heavy monsoon showers for several months, with this week bringing another fresh spell of torrential downpours. The deluge triggered cloudbursts in districts like Dehradun and Chamoli, while landslides and flash floods were reported in several other regions.
The human toll has been severe, with at least 15 people losing their lives this week alone, including 13 in the catastrophic cloudburst in Dehradun. In Chamoli, a rain-triggered cloudburst on Wednesday night left ten people missing, while the debris flow flattened six buildings entirely.
Authorities have now issued a red alert for Dehradun, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar districts, warning residents of the likelihood of more cloudbursts, landslides, and widespread damage to life and property until September 20.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, speaking on Wednesday, assured that the government’s priority is the speedy restoration of essential services in disaster-hit areas, as teams continue their round-the-clock rescue and relief operations.
