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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Char Dham project in current form could spell disaster: Experts
DEHRADUN: Two members of an SC-appointed committee have warned the Char Dham all-weather road widening project in the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone, if built as currently planned, will cause disaster in the fragile Himalayan terrain. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Their caution, sent in a letter on Tuesday to Union ministry of road transport and highways, came days after the Aug 5 flood in Dharali brought down massive debris from glacier-fed streams, washing away homes. Senior geologist Navin Juyal and environmentalist Hemant Dhyani, both members of the scrutiny committee for the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone's zonal master plan, had submitted a detailed report in Oct 2023 as sought by MoRTH. That survey mapped the upper Bhagirathi valley's most unstable slopes and proposed an alternate design that they said could keep the road functional without undermining slope stability. Juyal, a former senior scientist at Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, has since resigned from the high-powered committee overseeing the Char Dham project; Dhyani remains on it. The Aug 5 flood played out almost exactly as they had predicted. At Dharali, one cirque stream burst through, dragging tons of rock and soil into the valley. In Bhatwari, a highway stretch almost sunk - in a zone they had documented as sinking 12mm to 22mm annually. In their latest note, the experts urged adoption of alternate DPR design as given in Oct 2023 report and full enforcement of the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone notification. They also backed extending eco-sensitive protections across the higher Himalayan valleys. "The Char Dham road widening project in its current form in BESZ will spell disaster otherwise," Dhyani said. Pankaj Singh, head of the ministry's Dehradun office, said work was under way in line with SC directions and the Oct 2023 report.
The Print
6 hours ago
- The Print
A ‘blast-like sound', then came the deluge. Uttarkashi's Dharali grapples with trail of devastation
'We were eating lunch when the flood hit,' said 38-year-old Dharali resident Suresh Panwar. 'We ran to a higher point and saw the market being submerged. Our house got hit in the second wave.' As National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Army personnel carry out search and rescue operations—sifting through rocks, boulders and chunks of earth—villagers are still in a state of shock. Some lost family members, others homes and livelihoods. Dharali : From Mukhawa, the village on the mountain side opposite Dharali, a clear view of destruction the flash flood brought is laid bare. Dharali's entire market area is submerged, not a single structure in sight. A two-storey house has been dragged to the edges of the Bhagirathi riverbank, only part of its second floor and roof jutting out of the debris. The viral video showing the flash flood consuming everything in its path was just the beginning. After the first major outburst, the deluge returned in waves. Panwar told ThePrint he had vegetable patches and apple orchards that were destroyed in the flash flood. Most of the fields were downhill, near the banks of the river. Now, only a few apple trees remain, his only source of income. 'The durability and quality of the vegetables we grow here is very good. They don't spoil easily. We grow potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, peas and rajma (kidney beans),' he said, adding that the damage to his vegetable patches is in excess of Rs 5 lakh. This part of Uttarkashi is famous for its Red Royal variety of apples. Panwar has decided to abandon the two-storey wood and cement house his grandfather built, now inundated with silt and debris. Although his family was evacuated by helicopter to Matli a day after the floods, he stayed back to gather what was left of their belongings. 'If another flood comes here, we won't be saved,' he said, adding that the village was struck by floods in 2013, 2017 and now in 2025. 'But at the time, it didn't do much damage. Now 50-60 people have lost their lives in the market area alone.' Panwar pointed to an area right next to his house where his uncle lived. The patch of land is now covered in silt and debris, showing no signs of the house that once stood there. Referring to his cousin, Panwar told ThePrint that he 'had gone to the market to get cooking supplies; they just recovered his body'. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Deputy Inspector General Parminder Singh had told ThePrint earlier that the flash flood happened at about 1:30 pm on 5 August and personnel from ITBP reached Dharali by 4:30 pm the same day. In Pictures: A trail of debris, loss, feeble prayers—Scenes from Dharali, a village half buried under rubble 'It was like a blast-like sound' Most of the surviving villagers have moved to higher ground, setting up camp near the temple where the government has been storing rations. Local leaders are distributing bags of rice, potatoes, tea, cooking oil, shoes, mattresses and towels with the help of personnel from the ITBP and Uttarakhand police. Rajat Panwar was at this temple when the deluge came. 'It was like a blast-like sound. It strikes fear in my mind even now,' said Rajat, adding that he ran in the direction of higher ground and saw his family-owned hotel being submerged. 'I thought my immediate family members would drown, but they were safe. I lost some classmates and my aunt's son.' Having lost his hotel and apple orchards, he doesn't have any means to feed his family or build a roof over their heads. Choking back tears, he pleaded to the government—for shelter and a source of livelihood. 'In some families, people have lost the main earner. The government should give some sort of permanent employment, not necessarily a government job, to one person in each family, so at least the house can function.' 'Neighbouring villages see each other as one' In Harsil, some 7 km from Dharali, 18-year-old Shrikant Rawat runs up and down flights of stairs, ensuring guests in his family's hotel are taken care of. Rawat was in Dharali visiting relatives for a local festival when the flash flood struck Dharali and an Army camp in Harsil. 'I saw it with my own eyes,' said Rawat, who was on his way up to the temple when the flash flood came hurtling down the valley. 'Some people lost everything. What do village people have after all? Gold jewellery, fields, cows. Everything is gone for them.' Rawat added that the deluge came in waves, each devouring whatever came in its way in the blink of an eye. When he returned to Harsil, he saw that his village wasn't spared either. Newly built resorts on the banks of the river had been destroyed. 'For us, villages that are right next to each other we see as one village,' said Rawat, adding that he didn't want any support for Harsil, people were able to manage there. It is Dharali that needs more help, where villagers are living without electricity or clean water. Rawat said that between 50 to 80 people may have died in Dharali, a number he believes accurate based on conversations with local contractors, many of whom cannot account for migrant labourers. For now, these people are being counted as 'missing'. 'Village people are saying show us the body, because in everyone's mind they hold hope they will reunite with their loved ones,' he said. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: In disaster-hit Dharali, helicopters are lifeline for supplying rations. Work to reopen road on war footing
NDTV
8 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.
