Uttarakhand Tragedy: Weather Conditions Unlikely To Improve Today-Will Hamper Relief Operations
Massive tragedy struck Uttarakhand yesterday. Series of cloudbursts and repeated landslides have been hampering the rescue and relief operations. Three huge cloudbursts yesterday afternoon wreaked catastrophic damage, more so in Dharali and Harsil, in the Uttarkashi district. Cloudbursts happened in quick succession at Dharali, Sukhi Top and Awana Bhugiyal.
Fortunately, the latter two locations were not populated enough to cause any significant damage. However, the loss of life and property has been tremendous at Dharali and Harsil. Floodwaters gushing down the slopes washed away buildings at Dharali and swept away an Army Camp at Harsil. The floods hit hotels and residential buildings in the neighbourhood of Dharali.
Dharali, with an altitude of about 8,800 feet above mean sea level, is situated between Uttarkashi and Gangotri, 20 km before Gangotri Dham and 3 km after Harsil. The slopes rise to as much as 12,000 feet in that area. The water flowing down these slopes from the cloudburst phenomenon has devastating potential. This region had earlier witnessed another calamitous event in 2018. Other parts of Uttarakhand have repeatedly been bashed by such horrendous incidents in 2013, 2018 and 2021, as well.
Weather conditions have been extremely poor and there has been heavy downpour in the mountains and the foothills for the last 24 hours. Uttarkashi area has had non-stop rains for over 36 hours. Pantnagar, the first Agriculture University in the Udham Singh Nagar district and surrounded by Nainital, Kashipur, Rudraprayag and Haldwani, was flooded with 155 mm rainfall during the last 24 hours. Mukteshwar followed with a dump of 107 mm downpour. The state capital Dehradun has been battling with incessant rains for over 24 hours. Intense weather activity has now shifted from Kumaon Hills to Garhwal Hills, which houses Uttarkashi region, along with Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Pauri Garhwal.
Inclement weather conditions will restrict the rescue air operations by the Indian Air Force, which otherwise is in a high state of readiness at short notice. Flight safety remains of paramount importance under such daring operations. Repeated landslides have made the area inaccessible. Boulders have blocked the roads including the arterial ones. Large chunks of the state highway have sunk and cracks at many places have hampered the connectivity. Rescue and relief operations, though needed at the earliest, will pose a big challenge for the teams. Some improvement in weather conditions is expected tomorrow. However, the slopes of mountains will remain vulnerable on account of heavy rains and may break up repeatedly. Also, the water bodies keep responding till late, even after improvement in weather conditions. Exercise utmost caution.
