A powerful cloudburst in Uttarkashi district’s Dharali village on Tuesday caused flash floods, leaving wide-scale destruction. Water flooded and destroyed or washed away many homes in Dharali’s high-altitude villages. Local officials report at least four deaths, with more than 50 persons missing.
Rescue and relief operations are at full steam, with Indian Army teams, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) teams deployed in active duty. Over 130 individuals have been rescued and evacuated so far. Continuous rains in the region are, however, severely hindering rescue activities.
Rain Alert And School Closures
In view of the critical situation, all schools and educational institutions in Dharali and Harsil have been closed down, leaving only emergency services functional. Weather departments forecast two more days of rain in the area. With the ground already being waterlogged, even normal rain brings a high possibility of initiating fresh flash floods or landslides. The administration has sounded an alert, directing people to be cautious and follow local orders.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a satellite image indicating widespread cloud cover over Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Northwest Uttar Pradesh, Eastern Bihar, Gangetic Plains, West Bengal, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Marathwada, Karnataka, Konkan Goa, and the Lakshadweep island chain. These regions are on alert for heavy to very heavy rain today.
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Difficult Rescue Operations And Government Response
Skymet reported a remnant low-pressure area is still present as a weak circulation over Western UP and Uttarakhand. The ‘break monsoon’ situation has already shifted the monsoon trough to the sub-Himalayan belt, which has been further triggered by the onset of a Western Disturbance, strengthening the possibility of heavy showers in most places today.
The cloudburst has resulted in full villages being buried under rubble, roads being destroyed for miles, completely hindering rescue efforts.
In the meanwhile, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered food, shelter, and medicine arrangements for the victims immediately. More helicopters from the Army are being sought to speed up the rescue operations. The Chief Minister also ordered officials to resume cut-off communication lines in the disaster-hit area by Tuesday evening to establish contact with the victims.
Haunting Memories Of Past Disasters
Rescued residents of Dharali and Harsil have been given lodging, food, and medicines in homestays and hotels. CM Dhami has asked the top military officials to immediately counter the formation of a lake at the Harsil location. He has also asked for the deployment of Indian Air Force MI-17 planes for evacuation of affected persons and stressed the necessity of strong alternative accommodations for displaced people.
The intensity of the cloudburst in Uttarkashi’s Dharali was such that its speed stunned. In just 34 seconds, the tragedy hit the Kheerganga region when there was no time for anyone to act. The eyewitness testimony says it was a regular day that suddenly turned into a devastation when a flash of water burst forth after the cloudburst destroying hotels and houses, covering the once thriving place on the Gangotri road under heaps of wreckage.
Shocking videos from the disaster have individuals crying and fleeing for their lives as waters quickly engulf them. A heart-wrenching video captures one of the victims crying, “Everything is finished.” The gruesome magnitude of the tragedy rekindled terrifying memories of the 2013 Kedarnath flood and the 2021 Rishi Ganga tragedy, perpetuating the region’s exposure to catastrophic weather conditions.
Also Read: EXPLAINED: Why Uttarakhand, Himachal, J&K, And UP Are Witnessing Relentless Heavy Rains?