By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing red and orange alerts for several districts of Uttarakhand for September 26 and 27, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed officials to remain on a 24×7 alert and urged tourists and residents to exercise extreme caution.
According to the weather forecast, a red alert for heavy rainfall has been issued for five districts—Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar—for Saturday. An orange alert has been issued for Dehradun, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Almora, while Haridwar, Uttarkashi and Tehri are under a yellow alert.
For Sunday, a red alert has been issued for Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri and Haridwar, while Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Nainital and Rudraprayag are under an orange alert. The remaining five districts—Bageshwar, Almora, Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar and Pithoragarh—are under a yellow alert.
The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at several places, with the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated locations. The weather conditions could trigger landslides and road blockages in hilly areas, rising water levels in rivers and streams, and waterlogging in the plains.
Appealing to residents and tourists to remain vigilant, Dhami advised people to avoid unnecessary travel during red-alert periods and undertake journeys only when absolutely necessary after checking weather and road conditions. He also urged people to strictly follow advisories issued by the local administration.
Dhami cautioned people against venturing near rivers, streams, gad-gaderas, rain-fed channels and waterlogged areas during heavy rainfall, and warned them against attempting to cross strong currents. He also urged people to exercise caution on vulnerable roads and in landslide-prone areas in the hills and appealed to parents to prevent children from going near rivers, streams and other potentially dangerous locations.
The Chief Minister directed all concerned departments and officials to remain on a 24×7 alert, with continuous monitoring of water levels in rivers and streams, landslide-prone areas, hill roads, Char Dham routes and major tourist destinations.
He also directed authorities to keep all necessary arrangements in place so that relief and rescue operations can begin immediately in the event of any disaster. Rescue teams, essential equipment, JCBs and other machinery should be kept ready at strategic locations, he said.