By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 18 Sep: The disaster that struck Dehradun district on the intervening night of 15 and 16 September has left behind a trail of devastation. While 18 bodies were recovered yesterday, six more have been found today, taking the toll in the Doon Valley tragedy to 24, so far, with at least 16 still missing. Of the six bodies recovered today, four were recovered in Dehradun and two in Mirzapur along the Yamuna River in Saharanpur.
Sixteen people are still reported missing. Under the direction of the District Magistrate, relief and rescue operations are being carried out on war footing, with teams led by Sub-Divisional Magistrate Harigiri scouring debris at Majad village with the assistance of dog squads.
Uttarakhand has been deeply scarred by natural calamities this year, the wounds of which may take years to heal. The retreating monsoon has inflicted immense sorrow on the state, sparing no district from its fury. It has wreaked havoc on Dehradun, causing a scale of destruction that no one had anticipated, claiming many lives and leaving the city shattered. Heavy rainfall had earlier caused waterlogging and flood-like situations in parts of the capital, but the deluge this week was unprecedented. The ferocity of nature became evident when 24 people lost their lives in just 24 hours.
Rescue operations are still underway in several localities of Dehradun to trace those trapped under debris or swept into swollen streams. More than 25 persons had gone missing on the night of the calamity, of whom several have been found dead while others remain untraced.
Normal life in Dehradun has been greatly impeded as the disaster has wreaked havoc on infrastructure. Roads have suffered massive damage, with the bridge on the Paonta Sahib highway near Premnagar collapsing, cutting off direct connectivity with Himachal Pradesh. The Dehradun–Mussoorie road was also badly affected at many points though it has now been restored for small vehicle movement. However, the Paonta Sahib highway remains closed. The Haridwar–Dehradun highway at Lal Tappad too suffered heavy damage, with traffic allowed only from one side. The areas of Sahastradhara and Maldevta were also badly battered by the torrential rain.
In Jaunsar Bawar, the lifeline of the region, the Kalsi–Chakrata motor road, has been completely blocked since the night of 17 September. The landslide at Jajred continues to pose a major obstacle, while heavy debris at Chapanau Mod has rendered the route impassable, leading to long queues of stranded vehicles on both sides. In Sarkhet and Serki villages of Dehradun, excessive rainfall has caused massive destruction. Villagers remain traumatised as roads have collapsed, fields have been washed away, crops destroyed and homes left in ruins. People barely escaped with their lives, abandoning their houses as water and debris consumed their belongings. The memories of that night still haunt them, depriving many of sleep.
The calamity in Dehradun has left roads, bridges, homes and fields devastated. Many major routes of the capital remained blocked even after 48 hours. The Public Works Department (PWD) is working on diversion plans, but the restoration of the bridge on the Dehradun–Paonta national highway at Nanda Ki Chowki may take four to six months. Till then, arrangements are being made to construct an alternative route. Overall, eight bridges have been damaged in the district. According to Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department Rajesh Kumar Sharma, restoration work on the Nanda Ki Chowki bridge will commence once the water level in the river subsides. Only then can the design and cost be finalised. Although the bridge belongs to the National Highways Authority of India, its repair work has been entrusted to the Public Works Department. He admitted that it will take no less than six months to complete. A temporary alternative passage 50 to 60 metres upstream of the damaged bridge has already been identified and preparations are underway to make it functional.
Superintending Engineer Ompal Singh stated that the disaster has caused extensive damage to the district’s road network, with estimated losses amounting to Rs 42.62 crore. At present, temporary restoration is being carried out to make roads motorable, after which permanent reconstruction will commence.
