District Admin team fails to reach disaster site in Dharali due to road blockage
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 6 Aug: Over 24 hours since a massive disaster struck Dharali in Uttarkashi district, approximately 150 individuals have been safely rescued, while more than 15 remain missing, including eight army personnel. It is also learnt that by the time of filing this report, the district administration and disaster management teams have been unable to reach the affected areas. The main reason is that the Gangotri National Highway has been washed out at several places. Additionally, a BRO bridge on the highway near Gangnani was swept away by heavy debris, stones, and a cloudburst, completely cutting off the route to Harsil, Dharali, and Gangotri. As a result, the rescue operations are solely being carried out by the Army and ITBP besides NDRF.
This has also completely snapped the road connectivity from the district headquarters to the China border and the Gangotri area. It may take more than a week to restore these roads. For now, the administration is using helicopter services to access the disaster-hit areas of Dharali and Harsil. It remains to be seen when the weather will clear up, allowing relief and rescue operations to reach the affected regions in Dharali.
Meanwhile, Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman has admitted that the large accumulation of debris is creating significant difficulties for rescue teams operating in the affected areas. He also shared that the state has sought additional deployment of two more Chinook choppers. He also claimed that the reasons behind the Dharali disasters would be investigated.
Suman also stated that it is not yet possible to determine the cause of the Dharali disaster, but the reasons would be investigated. At present, the primary focus of the Disaster Management Department is currently on completing the relief and rescue operations. After this, an investigation will be carried out using satellite images and other sources to find out what caused the disaster in Dharali. The satellite images have not shown anything unusual so far. Suman stressed that no conclusions can be drawn without a proper investigation.
Suman added that since the calamity hit Dharali, nearly 150 people have been evacuated to safety, with around 250 personnel currently engaged in ground-level rescue work. An additional 600 responders equipped with modern machinery and equipment are en route, though logistical hurdles are delaying their deployment. Despite the situation stabilising marginally, rescue efforts continue at a swift pace with targeted operations underway to locate individuals suspected to be buried under the rubble.
He conceded that manual operations in debris-heavy zones are proving to be extremely challenging, prompting a requisition for three Chinook helicopters to transport critical equipment to the site. One Chinook has already arrived in Dehradun, and two more have been requested from the central government. These helicopters are expected to carry machinery to the army’s helipad in Harsil, in order to expedite relief operations. Although most people have been saved, authorities remain cautious and are proceeding with the assumption that others may still be trapped under the debris.
Of the two helipads in Harsil, the army helipad is fully operational and can accommodate Chinook and Mi-17 helicopters, while the other helipad has been submerged by the swollen river and remains unusable.
The matter of deploying additional Chinooks was reviewed during a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. While one aircraft has arrived, the process to secure the remaining two is being actively pursued. Once confirmation is received, the helicopters will ferry machinery from Dehradun to Harsil to strengthen relief operations.
Suman confirmed that eight army personnel are currently untraceable, and search efforts are ongoing to locate them. Additionally, seven to eight civilians are also missing, bringing the total number of unaccounted individuals to around 15. Poor connectivity is hampering search operations in parts, though most individuals have reportedly been located by evening. Rescue teams remain deployed to trace those still unaccounted for and officials hope for positive developments soon.
It may be recalled that the cloudburst occurred in an uninhabited region of Uttarkashi, but no advance forecast of heavy rainfall was issued. Records from nearby automatic weather stations suggest that rainfall levels were not unusually high in the immediate vicinity. However, it is being speculated that excessive rainfall in higher elevations led to a rapid collection of water that surged downstream. A detailed scientific inquiry will be launched to identify the cause and mitigate future risks.
In response to immediate needs, the state government has released Rs 20 crore from its disaster fund for Uttarkashi district.
