By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 30 Aug: The monsoon has unleashed unprecedented devastation in Uttarakhand this year, inflicting losses that may take years to overcome and altering the landscape of several regions beyond recognition. Both Garhwal and Kumaon have borne the brunt of incessant rains, with lives lost and many more still missing as floods, landslides and cloudbursts continue to batter the hill state.
According to figures released by the Uttarakhand Disaster Management Department, at least 75 people have died so far while more than 90 remain untraceable while the number of those injured exceeds 107. Property worth around Rs 2,500 crores has been reduced to rubble, and the actual extent of damage is still being counted as rescue agencies struggle to reach disaster-hit pockets cut off from district and tehsil headquarters.
The scale of loss is not limited to human lives. More than 1,430 animals have perished, 226 houses have been completely destroyed, 31 houses have suffered serious structural damage, and as many as 1,828 require urgent repairs. Farmers have been left distraught as more than 190 hectares of agricultural land lie ravaged under the fury of the rains.
Government departments too have suffered crippling losses. The Public Works Department has reported damages amounting to Rs 554.38 crore, Peyjal Nigam has lost assets worth Rs 90 crore, Minor Irrigation has faced losses of Rs 35 crore, Panchayati Raj Rs 10 crore, the Energy Department Rs 448 crore, while the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana has incurred losses of Rs 415 crore. The Irrigation Department alone has reported losses exceeding Rs 400 crore.
Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan said that a comprehensive rehabilitation plan is being prepared for the affected families. He stated that an assessment of the overall damage is underway and a detailed proposal will soon be sent to the central government seeking financial assistance under the disaster relief category. He expressed hope that the centre will extend adequate support to help the state cope with the magnitude of destruction.
The calamity has been compounded by a series of tragic incidents. On August 5, Dharali in Uttarkashi witnessed the death of six people while 65 went missing in a devastating disaster. In Syana Chatti, also in Uttarkashi, a landslide blocked the Yamuna river, creating a lake that inundated hotels and houses and posed a grave threat to the locality. Earlier in the season, a flash flood swept away seven labourers engaged in highway construction work in Uttarkashi, their bodies still untraced. In another incident, falling debris crushed a house in Uttarkashi district, killing three occupants.
Elsewhere, heavy rainfall triggered disasters in Tharali, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Pauri Garhwal, causing multiple casualties. However, Uttarkashi district remains the worst affected both in terms of damage and fatalities. With the Meteorological Department warning of continued heavy rain until 2 September, the toll is expected to rise further and reports of destruction are still pouring in from remote corners of the state.
