Relief Operations Intensify in Uttarkashi as CM Dhami Monitors Rescue Efforts On Ground

Relief and rescue operations have been underway at a war footing since this morning, now on the third day after cloudbursts and flooding in Uttarkashi district’s Dharali and Harsil areas of Uttarakhand. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is present in Uttarkashi, personally monitoring the situation. He stated that SDRF, NDRF, the Army, ITBP, and the local administration are jointly carrying out relief efforts with full readiness.

UCADA helicopters are playing a crucial role in rescue operations. Despite challenging weather conditions, the helicopter has flown seven sorties. The first sortie carried the Chief Minister to the disaster-hit site, while the subsequent flights transported NDRF, SDRF, Army, and district administration teams to the location. So far, more than 22 personnel and officers have been airlifted to the affected area.

Twenty-eight NDRF personnel equipped with two satellite phones have been stationed there. Injured Army personnel and three civilians have been safely shifted to hospitals.A total of 150 personnel from the Rajputana Rifles, 100 ITBP personnel, and teams from SDRF and NDRF are engaged in the relief work.

Medical teams from the health department are providing on-site treatment. ICU and general beds have been reserved at Dehradun, Coronation Hospital, and AIIMS Rishikesh. According to Arun Mohan Joshi, Inspector General of Police, SDRF, all agencies involved in the rescue operation are working in coordination.

In this devastating disaster at Dharali, five deaths have been confirmed so far, and over 50 people are reported missing. Eleven Army personnel are also among the missing. Road connectivity issues have hampered relief team movement, but efforts to reopen routes are ongoing.

The state government has stated that delivering aid to every affected person and restoring normalcy is its highest priority. Meanwhile, recent rainfall has also disrupted normal life in other parts of Uttarakhand. From the hills to the plains, the continuous rain has led to a significant rise in river water levels. In districts such as Pauri Garhwal, Chamoli, Haridwar, and Rudraprayag, roads have been damaged due to rain and landslides, with reports of casualties in some areas.

In Pauri district, two people lost their lives, and several homes were affected after heavy rain triggered landslides and house collapses in Buransi and Bankuda villages. Rescue operations were carried out in Chaunikhal, Pabo, and Thalisain, where people were moved to safer locations. In Haridwar, the water level of the Ganga has risen above the danger mark.

District Magistrate Mayur Dikshit stated that the administration is closely monitoring the situation and has urged people to stay away from rivers and ponds. In Chamoli’s Saldhar area, around 20 meters of the National Highway in Tapovan has been damaged, affecting traffic. In Rudraprayag, the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers are flowing above the danger mark.

Landslides have disrupted the Rishikesh-Badrinath, Rudraprayag-Gaurikund, and several other connecting routes. In Haridwar, rising water in the Solani River has damaged part of the bridge on the Roorkee-Laksar road. In Chamoli, the Badrinath highway near Joshimath has been closed due to falling rocks.

The Met Department has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain in several parts of the state today. In Rudraprayag, the pilgrimages to Kedarnath, Madmaheshwar, and Tungnath have been suspended for the next two days for safety reasons, and pilgrims and locals are advised to remain in safe locations.