Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 6 Sep: The spell of natural calamities in Uttarakhand shows no signs of abating. A fresh incident of flash floods has been reported on Saturday evening from the Naugaon area of Uttarkashi district following heavy rainfall. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took prompt cognisance of the situation and announced that immediate relief and rescue measures were being undertaken.
Sharing information through social media, the CM clarified that on receiving reports of heavy rain in Naugaon, he spoke directly to the District Magistrate of Uttarkashi and instructed him to initiate relief and rescue operations on a war footing. He added that teams from the district administration, the State Disaster Response Force, and the National Disaster Response Force had already left for the affected region. Emphasising the urgency of the matter, he directed the officials to ensure that there was no delay in shifting the affected residents to safe locations and providing them with all possible assistance. The Chief Minister also prayed for the safety and well-being of the people of the affected area.
It may be noted here that the disaster in Naugaon follows a series of devastating events across Uttarakhand in recent weeks. On August 5, the Khir Ganga in Dharali, Uttarkashi, was flooded, destroying the Dharali market and leaving about 65 people missing. The market was buried under nearly forty feet of debris, and search operations are continuing. Soon after, heavy rainfall wreaked havoc in Tharali in Chamoli district, causing the death of two people and injuries to many others. In Pauri Garhwal, on August 6, five Nepali labourers were swept away in the floods, while two women also lost their lives.
August has proven to be one of the most difficult months for Uttarakhand in terms of natural disasters, and there had been hope that September would bring some respite. With clear skies earlier in the day, the Badrinath and Kedarnath pilgrimages had resumed in Rudraprayag district, and the Char Dham Yatra was restarted by the government. However, the sudden heavy rainfall and flash floods reported from Naugaon have once again reminded the state of the persistent threat posed by extreme weather in the state.
