New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday reviewed the ongoing relief and rescue operations in Dharali, and said that every effort was being made to evacuate all affected people safely and restore normal public life at the earliest.
As the race against time continues to locate the survivors in the devastated village, helicopters have been pressed into service.
In a post on X in the morning, CM stated that relief and rescue operations are being carried out on a war footing, and MI-17 and Chinook helicopters are also assisting.
“In Uttarkashi today morning, a review of the ongoing relief and rescue operations in Dharali was conducted. With the help of heli services, MI 17, and Chinook helicopters, a rescue operation is being carried out on a war footing since morning to bring people back safely,” he said.
The CM said that with the Centre’s help, efforts are being made to restore roads, communication and electricity.
“Under the guidance of the esteemed Prime Minister Shri @narendramodiji, full cooperation is being received from the Central Government. During this, officials were given necessary instructions regarding the restoration of roads, communication, and electricity, as well as food supply,” he added in the post.
CM Dhmai further said, “We are making every effort to evacuate all affected people safely and restore normal public life at the earliest.”
On Thursday, the CM visited the disaster-hit Pauri Garhwal district to assess the damage caused by a devastating cloudburst that struck the region a day earlier. The cloudburst in the Pabau and Thalisain blocks resulted in multiple casualties and widespread destruction of homes, roads, and bridges. CM Dhami, accompanied by officials and local leaders, instructed the administration to expedite rescue and relief operations. He assured the affected families of all possible assistance and said he was personally monitoring the situation from the ground.
In Dharali, at least 50 civilians, eight jawans and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) are still missing after a cloudburst triggered flash flood and landslides on August 5.
After the cloudburst, the area remains largely inaccessible, with key road links at Bartwari, Linchigad, Gangrani, Harsil, and Dharali severely damaged. The Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel are providing the stranded tourists with food, medical aid, and shelter.
Restoration efforts are underway, but weather and terrain challenges persist.
According to the Army, tourists were being evacuated from Nelong helipad on return sorties. The Military helipad at Harsil is fully operational.
Nelong helipad is functional and connected by road to Gangotri, enabling smoother movement of tourists and relief personnel. However, the Dharali civil helipad remains non-operational due to a mudslide.
The Army, in close coordination with civil authorities and other agencies, has ramped up Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.
Army officials said that search and rescue dogs have also been deployed in key sectors to aid in locating survivors and missing personnel.
–IANS
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