Dehradun, Sep 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami over the phone to take stock of the situation in the state following the cloudburst at Sahastradhara in Dehradun's Karligaad area.

During the conversation, CM Dhami apprised the Prime Minister of the ground realities, including the ongoing rescue and relief operations. PM Modi assured him of full cooperation from the Centre and said the Union government "stands firmly with Uttarakhand in this hour of disaster".

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also held a telephonic discussion with the Chief Minister regarding the situation caused by heavy rainfall. He assured every possible assistance from the Home Ministry and underlined that relief and rescue efforts will be fully supported by the Centre.

This comes in the wake of a cloudburst at Dehradun's Karligaad that caused major destruction in the area, leaving two persons missing. The incident, reported late Monday night from Karligaad in Sahastradhara -- a well-known tourist destination in Dehradun -- led to heavy debris falling, which damaged two to three major hotels and several shops in the main market.

Similar reports of damage surfaced from other parts of the state, including Rishikesh and Haldwani, where swollen rivers and debris disrupted daily life.

Expressing gratitude, CM Dhami said that "with the guidance and cooperation of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, relief work will be conducted more rapidly in the state."

He added that the administrative machinery has been placed on full alert and that rescue and relief operations are being carried out on a war footing.

The Chief Minister personally inspected rain-affected areas of Dehradun district on Tuesday. He was accompanied by local MLAs and senior officials, who briefed him on the extent of destruction.

All concerned departments have been mobilised, with SDRF, NDRF and Public Works Department teams actively engaged in operations. JCB machines and other necessary equipment have been deployed to clear debris and facilitate relief work.

(IANS)

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