Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday hoisted the national flag and administered the oath of national unity to mark the country’s 77th Independence Day in Dehradun.

According to a statement by the chief minister’s office, the Uttarakhand CM commemorated the nation’s 77th Independence Day at the Chief Minister’s residence in Dehradun today.

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He also extended Independence Day wishes to the people of the state.

The chief minister also honoured and paid tributes to all heroic individuals and freedom fighters who had made supreme sacrifices for the freedom of the country, said officials.

Chief Minister Dhami added that under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, commendable work was being done towards the development of the country.

The Chief Minister also mentioned that the State had suffered a lot of damage due to excessive rains. He expressed grief over the deaths caused by the incessant rains and offered his condolences to the families of the bereaved families.

In his Independence Day speech  to the country delivered from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed concern over the heavy rainfall that has wreaked havoc in many states.

“…This time, natural calamity has created unimaginable crises in several parts of the country. I express my sympathies to all families who faced this….” PM Modi said.

The prime minister assured that both the Centre and the state will help the affected families during times of crisis so they can start their life again. “I assure you about it”.

Heavy rainfall has battered the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, which saw deaths and destruction a day earlier.

India Meteorological Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours in several parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The Met department has raised “red alert” for both the hilly states which will gradually reduce to “orange alert”.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Dhami had on Monday conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in the state and also reviewed the increasing water level of the Ganga river in Rishikesh district.

After the survey, CM Dhami said that several places have been damaged in the last 48 hours due to incessant rains in the state adding that the Kedarnath Yatra has been stopped for the next two days.

Rishikesh in the State recorded the highest rainfall, across the country, in a span of 24 hours on Monday morning.

Heavy rains in the State have triggered landslides and flash floods in several places, officials said.