By Our Staff Reporter
Rudraprayag, 5 Aug: The administration has demolished 40 makeshift shops built on the side of the Highway in Rudraprayag –Gaurikund after getting them vacated. The measure comes after the flashflood had early morning yesterday swept away three steps in Gaurikund. A total of 150 shops have been identified from Gaurikund to Sonprayag, which had been set up on illegally occupied land of the National Highway. SDM Ukhimath Jitendra Verma has confirmed this. Meanwhile Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami who was planning to visit the landslide affected area in Gaurikund today was forced to cancel his tour because of inclement weather reported in district Rudraprayag.
Meanwhile, the search continued today for the 17 remaining persons who are still missing since yesterday. During the rescue operation, 4 bodies were recovered. Today the rescue operation resumed at 5.30 am and has continued till the filing of this report. It may be recalled that around 19 to 21 persons had been swept away by the flashflood near Gaurikund Post in the wee hours of Friday morning. Jawans of NDRF, SDRF, DDRF and other organisations are engaged in the search. District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said that it has been raining lightly in the area since morning.
It is pertinent to point out here that Rudraprayag ranks first amongst the 10 most landslide prone districts in the country. In fact, Tehri district ranks second in the nationwide list of the landslides prone districts. All the 13 district of Uttarakhand are landslides prone. In the state ranking, Chamoli ranks at number three position but has remained more in news lately due to Joshimath land subsidence.
In Rudraprayag, in fact, thousands have gone missing or were killed due to flashfloods or landsdlies in past two decades. The worst tragedy in the country related to landslides had occurred in Kedarnath in the year 2013 which falls under Rudraprayag district only, when more than 4,500 persons had died. As per the landslide Map Report of National Remove Sensing Centre (NRSC), a body under Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has stated on the basis of satellite imaging and remote sensing that Rudraprayag is the most landslide prone district in the country.
