Uttarakhand Flooded Again, Death Toll Rises - All You Need To Know

At least 39 people are feared to be dead, as heavy rains triggered cloudbursts in Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts of Uttarakhand on Friday. An alert of heavy rainfalls for the next 72 hours have been issued all across the state. The situation is quite similar to the 2013 flood that had devastated many parts of the state.

Damages so far:

Villages of Singhali, Patthakot, Ogla, Thal and Basted have been severely affected in the state. In Basted, at least 30 people are feared to be still trapped inside the debris. Official reports suggest that 60 houses have been flattened in the heavy rainfall and villagers have lost over 200 cattle in the flood.

A 50-metre stretch of the Gangotri Highway in Uttarkashi has been washed away that led to the shutting down of the Lata area. The water level on the Koshi river is on the rise alarming the tenets of Ramgarh village.

All means of communication have been disrupted due to the incessant rainfall. Flooding has been reported in many areas of the state when all major rivers, including the Alaknanda river, rose above the danger level-mark after rainfall of over 100 mm was within just hours, leading to floods in most villages in the state.

The Gangotri pilgrimage has been halted temporarily and large portions of agricultural fields in several villages have been washed away.

A landslide has forced the blockade of the Chamba-Rishikesh National Highway-94 in Bemunda.

Rescue Operation

Officials have reported that NDRF teams have rushed from Delhi to the affected areas in Pithoragarh and Chamoli to help in the rescue operations along with along with SDRF, SSB and ITBP and local agencies. The State Disaster Response Force conducted rescue operations in blocked areas in Pithoragarh’s Bastari and from Chamoli to Mathana. The Army column of Assam Regiment troops rescued the villagers in Pithoragarh.

At least 14 bodies have been recovered so far from the debris in affected villages, said the police. They fear that the toll may rise as many of them are still trapped in debris. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has promised to provide helicopters for conducting a rescue operation. He also announced a solatium of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of each of the deceased.

Our condolences to the families of the bereaved, we request the Uttarakhand government to compensate the families who have lost their lives adequately besides, we also request other state governments to pitch in with their efforts and support Uttarakhand flood victims and rehab in any way possible.

You can also join in the rescue mission. To help, contact the following numbers:

Abhishek Rajan: 7536022257
Abhishek Bohra: 7500713171
Naval Negi: 9410392288
Ankit Prajapati: 8126614185