Bailey bridge construction nears completion to restore connectivity in flood-hit Uttarkashi: Officials
A Bailey bridge is a kind of modular bridge that can be quickly assembled with pre-built parts.
Home Secretary Shailesh Bagauli has directed authorities to supply 2,000 litres of diesel per day to Dharali and ensure the transportation of LPG cylinders to those impacted.
VIDEO | Uttarkashi: Indian Army conducts search operation near Army base camp to locate missing soldiers in Harsil.
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/YtpSj0fMVI — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 10, 2025
Horses and mules should be used to maintain transportation of essential supplies to the affected people until the roads are repaired and become operational, he said.
Officials here said the bailey bridge, being built over Limchagad between Gangnani and Dharali, is in its final phase and is likely to be ready by Sunday (August 10, 2025) evening. It will help restore connectivity to the affected areas, they said.
Blockages along the highway at Songad, Dabrani, Harsil, and Dharali are also being cleared on a war footing, they added.
However, rains on Sunday (August 10, 2025) morning have hampered the evacuation of stranded people by helicopters.
More than 1,000 people had been evacuated by Saturday (August 9, 2025).
The search for the missing in the flood-ravaged Dharali also continued, with the help of SDRF sniffer dogs and state-of-the-art equipment such as victim locating and thermal imaging cameras.
The SDRF is also preparing to deploy its divers with rafts to aid the ongoing search operations, officials said.
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NDTV
5 hours ago
- NDTV
2 Pregnant Women Rescued From Disaster-Hit Dharali, Relief Efforts Intensify
Uttarkashi: Two pregnant women were airlifted from the disaster-affected Dharali village in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi on Tuesday and are now receiving medical attention at the district hospital. The women, accompanied by two toddlers, were first flown by helicopter from Sukhi Top to the ITBP camp before being transported to the hospital via ambulance. Following a day's suspension due to heavy rainfall on Monday, helicopter operations resumed on Tuesday, enabling the delivery of essential relief and medical supplies to Dharali. Evacuation efforts also continued, with residents from the affected regions of Harsil and Dharali being flown to Matli. Relief materials are being sent continuously to these areas via air. Multiple agencies, including the Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, police, and other rescue units, are working tirelessly to carry out search and relief operations. Adding to the efforts, the SDRF's skilled sniffer dogs, Phantom and Coco, are on the ground searching for those still missing. "In the search for life -- Phantom and Coco. In the disaster-affected areas of Dharali, Uttarakhand Police SDRF's agile and brave dogs, Phantom and Coco, are meticulously sniffing every stone, every crevice, every scent in their quest for life. No fatigue, no fear -- just a resolve to reach every breath," the police said in a statement. Since the beginning of air rescue operations, over 1,300 people have been evacuated. However, 42 individuals remain unaccounted for, including nine army personnel. Of these, there are also eight locals from Dharali, five from nearby areas, one from the Tehri district, 13 from Bihar, and six from Uttar Pradesh. On Tuesday, experts from the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) began using Ground Penetrating Radars to locate missing people. Meanwhile, the SDRF has set up community kitchens in Harsil and Dharali, providing fresh and nutritious meals to both affected residents and personnel engaged in relief work. In a significant boost to the operations, the Indian Army has operationalised a 400-metre aerial cableway and completed an 800-metre Animal Transport Track in record time. These measures will expedite the delivery of relief materials to Dharali.
Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Guest column: Prioritise risk reduction over response in tackling floods
There has been death and destruction again this monsoon, caused by hydro-meteorological disasters of cloud bursts and flash floods, first in the north-east and now in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Innocent people, their livestock and houses, along with roads, bridges and other infrastructure were washed away. This was followed with blocked roads, power shutdowns and water supply disruption, causing further misery and hindrance to the ongoing response. The monetary losses have run into multiple crores. The main cause of this catastrophe is that stability of land has been allowed to be disturbed, and its strength to face nature's onslaught weakened. (PTI file photo) The main cause of this catastrophe is that stability of land has been allowed to be disturbed, and its strength to face nature's onslaught weakened. This becomes complicated when coupled with haphazard and unscientific development. The damage to and degradation of forests has reduced their land and water conservation power that ensures smooth and regulated natural water flow. Habitations, shops and commercial establishments have come up on the natural path of water flow and on the banks of rivulets and rivers, that too below flood plain level. Irresponsible and unscientific mining has disturbed environmental stability. Domestic solid waste and muck generated due to development, instead of being disposed of at places meant, are littered to be washed away, adding fury to moving flood waters. Floodgates of storage and run-of-the-river hydel projects are managed irresponsibly, allowing fast gushing of water to cause more damage and destruction downstream. Climate change has not been tackled nor mitigated and required adaptations are yet to be accomplished. Prioritise early warning The strategic, scientific and practical National Policy on Disaster Management, 2009, stipulates following the step-wise pre-disaster phase of prevention, preparation, early warning, mitigation and risk reduction and then if required the post-disaster phase of response, rescue, evacuation, relief and rehabilitation. A fully prepared governance system, having prioritised pre-disaster steps of adequate preparation, would drastically reduce human and property losses. Early warning dissemination of these disasters, combined with mitigation and risk reduction measures, can assist in moving towards disaster resilience. But such a system up to the last mile has not been developed except for cyclones. People consequently were taken by surprise to see deaths and destruction. The requirement is to have well-managed forests, stable catchments, arrived through effective watershed management, that makes the area stable, regulated and smooth drainage of water, assisting in preventing or minimising floods, flash floods, reducing damage from cloudbursts, and in preventing landslides. These mitigating and risk-reduction steps, along with preparatory steps of clearing drains, nullahs and rivulets of waste, would allow and regulate natural water flow. In addition, construction of houses and other infrastructure away from the highest flood level of rivers and rivulets, and where these exist below, shifting above, will mitigate unnecessary losses. Satellite-based early warning systems, with dissemination up to the last mile, on mobiles must be developed and operationalised. Till the Central Water Commission and Indian Meteorological Department develop an integrated system based on data of rainfall and flood water flow, that forewarns at least six to 12 hours in advance, we will continue to see and face such deaths and destruction. Mitigation measures Flood gates management of hydro-electric projects after heavy rains require further fine tuning. In spite of pre-disaster preparation, sometimes the situation goes out of control. In such times, an effective post-disaster response of evacuating the affected, housing them at safe places and distributing immediate relief has to be in place. National and state disaster response forces are trained to manage the situation but positioning them at vulnerable areas beforehand will give better results. Funds in crores are being doled out by state governments and assistance from the Government of India is being sought. Inferences from past post-disaster needs assessment studies, including for hydro-meteorological disasters, indicate that cost and efforts of undertaking pre-disaster actions are much less than that of cumbersome post-disaster responses. But this has not been taken seriously and followed, so also suggestions and remedies from such studies. The requirement is to henceforth be serious in accomplishing actions of the pre-disaster phase to achieve near disaster resilience, so as to prevent or at least minimise death and destruction. Sustainable development and climate-resilient models, nature-based development and solutions and tourism based on carrying capacity of nature, would further reduce and mitigate hydro-meteorological disaster risks and destruction. Such actions, along with integration and mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction and mitigation measures, as discussed into developmental planning, would for sure give better results. The earliest these guidelines and operations are adopted and implemented, the better it would be in managing such disasters in future. SP Vasudeva (The writer, an Indian Forest Service officer, served as principal chief conservator of forests, Himachal Pradesh, and project director at National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), New Delhi. Views expressed are personal.)
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
Uttarkashi cloudburst: Temporary lake poses further threat of floods
A temporary lake measuring 400-500 meters has been formed in the upper reached of Harsil following the August 5 Dharali flash flood , TPO reported. This has given rise to concerns over a potential breach that could endanger downstream areas. The IMD has warned more rains in the coming days and officials have said a sudden rupture would release the water collected downstream, worsening the current situation. Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 4 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 3 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals By Vaibhav Sisinity View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 2 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass Batch-1 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Efforts are being made for controlled drainage to save lives. A 10-memvber team of geologists from several departments has been sent to Uttarkashi to asses the lake's stability and recommend safe discharge measures. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now SDRF personnel on Monday used electric saw to cut through a large tree obstructing the water's flow in an attempt to create an outlet. Garhwal commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said that the measure had started to drain the lake which formed on the Bhagirathi in Harsil. Live Events IG SDRF Arun Mohan Joshi said the affected area has been divided into sectors for coordinated management. "A Lt Col from the Army is overseeing operations at the temporary lake in Harsil, with all necessary support being provided to ensure safe and smooth water discharge," he told TOI. On August 8, NDMA member secretary Rajendra Singh had instructed state officials to maintain constant surveillance of the lake and deploy a joint Army-state team to inspect and oversee safe water release. Border Roads Organisation said the lake has submerged around 600m of the road from Harsil to Dharali near the Army camp. "We cannot assess the road damage until the water is drained. Repairs can only start after that," a senior BRO officer told TOI, adding that ongoing monsoon rains are worsening the risk and slowing restoration work. "On Monday, work had to be stopped at eight other sites due to heavy rainfall," the officer said.
