A cloudburst in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand brought life to a halt in at least a dozen villages on Tuesday with river water gushing into houses and the power distribution system going kaput.

The cloudburst, which was reported at Ghurma village in the Nijmula Valley in Chamoli district, threw life haywire in over a dozen villages on Tuesday.

The local administration said there was no report of casualties but the extent of damage to property would be assessed.

Netra Singh, a villager in Garhi, said the water supply system had also been affected in many villages. Debris from landslides had entered houses in adjoining Sera village.

“The State Disaster Response Force is assessing the loss. A 33KV power line was damaged when a tree fell on it during the calamity. We are shifting the affected families to safer places,” said Sandeep Tewari, the district magistrate of Chamoli.

Around 50 roads, including two national highways, had already been closed in the district on Monday following a series of landslide-induced blockades at several places.

The meteorological department has warned of the possibility of heavy rainfall and further mudslides, floods and avalanches in the hills. The Met department has forecast heavy rainfall in Dehradun, Rudraprayag, Tehri and Bageshwar districts till July 12.

The area has recorded 765.50mm of rain this season — 200mm more than this time last year. More rain could worsen the situation in Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts, where the Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines are located.

The district magistrate said the administration had closed all schools in Chamoli till further orders.

“We are trying to open the village roads. Landslide debris blocking the highways will be removed soon. The schools will remain closed and we have issued an advisory to the people to avoid taking the affected roads,” Tewari said, adding that it might take time to clear the roads because of frequent landslides.

Locals said that while a large number of vehicles ferrying Chardham pilgrims were waiting for the roads to be cleared, those willing to walk were being allowed to proceed on some roads.