'Saved by the school bell': Dharali students, teacher left 40 minutes before flash flood; headmistress remains untraceable
"I had a family commitment on Wednesday for which I left for Uttarkashi on the same afternoon as the disaster.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
We dispersed the students at 1 pm as usual. Of the 17 students enrolled in this school, two come from Dharali village.
They were a no-show on Tuesday, most probably due to the Hardoodh festival. We can only hope that they are safe, though there has been no contact with them because of poor network connectivity in the entire region," said Nautiyal, who has been a teacher at the school since 2016.
The other 15 students are children of Nepali immigrants and travel from Sattal, which remained relatively safe from the floods, he said.
Even the headmistress, Babita Panwar, has not been reachable since Tuesday's disaster, but Nautiyal is hopeful that she too is safe. "I locked the school around 1.10 pm and by 1.20 pm I was hailing a shared cab for Harsil. Barely half an hour later, the whole landscape changed. The school is almost 1.5 km away from the old Dharali village that was hit.
If not for my trip to Uttarkashi, I would have been in my school quarters," he said.
He also told TOI that while the Nepali origin students are safe, some of them have been unable to get in touch with their parents, many of whom are employed at apple orchards in the area and are missing or out of connectivity. Another 'coincidence' that Nautiyal spoke of was the safety of a class 6 student, Rajat Kumar, who actually goes to the secondary school in Mukhba. "Rajat's sister studies at our school in class 5 and he drops her here every day and then goes to his school.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
That day, he was without an umbrella and it was raining heavily. I convinced him to stay back at the primary school. Both siblings left together at 1 pm. Had he gone to his school, he might have been caught in the floods," said the teacher.
It was yet another coincidence that kept the lone teacher from Dharali, who teaches at the Mukhba secondary school, away from the disaster-hit area on Tuesday. "We had an audit in Muneri.
The teacher went there for it. While he was lucky, he lost his house and all his belongings. We also have four students from Dharali who come to our school, but because of the Hardoodh festival, we ended classes at noon that day. Most students were safely back home before the disaster hit.
We were able to get in touch with them once on Tuesday afternoon. They were being taken to a makeshift ITBP shelter nearby. Had we followed the usual 1 pm time for dispersal, we might have lost our students and teacher," said Saroj Negi, headmistress of the govt school in Mukhba.
In light of the bad weather and the disaster, schools in the area are closed for now.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
12 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Uttarkashi: NGRI experts launch search operation to trace 66 missing in disaster-hit Dharal
Uttarkashi, Equipped with Ground Penetrating Radars, experts from the National Geophysical Research Institute on Tuesday launched a search operation to trace the 66 people, including 24 Nepali labourers, reported missing since raging waters and mudslides buried virtually half of Dharali village in Uttarkashi a week ago. Uttarkashi: NGRI experts launch search operation to trace 66 missing in disaster-hit Dharal The team of experts, which reached the flood-ravaged site on Monday evening, will identify and focus on places where there may be human presence under the debris, they said. Ground Penetrating Radars is a geophysical method that uses radio waves to detect objects and structures below the surface. The NGRI had used its GPRs to locate people trapped in the SLBC tunnel collapse in Telangana in February this year. These radars of NGRI can detect human life even in the presence of mud and water, the officials said, adding that the GPR surveys will also detect anomalies within the debris. On Monday, incessant rain in various parts of Uttarakhand, including Uttarkashi, had hampered the search and rescue operations in Dharali village as well as efforts to restore road connectivity to the flood-hit areas of the district. According to officials, 24 Nepali labourers and 42 others are reported missing since the tragedy struck the village on August 5. The JCB operator engaged in restoring road connectivity to the affected area went missing after it fell into the surging waters of the Bhagirathi river. A search is underway to locate him, the officials said. Dehradun was also lashed by heavy rain on Monday, resulting in waterlogging at various areas. More than 1,300 people have been evacuated since the start of air rescue operations after the disaster. Foodgrains, edible items and essentials like clothes, gumboots and sleeping bags etc have been provided to the affected people in adequate quantity, they said. Forty-three people were reported missing in the disaster, out of which the body of Akash Panwar, a youth from Dharali village, was recovered a few days back, Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey had said on Monday. The ex-gratia announced by the state government as immediate relief has also been provided to the family of the deceased youth, he said. The 42 who still remain missing include nine army personnel, eight residents of Dharali village, five from nearby areas, one person from Tehri district, 13 from Bihar and six from Uttar Pradesh. Apart from these, 29 Nepali labourers were also reported missing initially, out of which five have been contacted after the restoration of mobile network in the area, he said. More details about the remaining 24 labourers like their mobile numbers and places where they hailed from have been sought from their contractors, he said. Distribution of an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh each as immediate relief among the affected people is going on, he said, adding that a larger package of relief and rehabilitation is being prepared for them. The state government, quoting the Meteorological Department, said that the weather will remain bad for the next few days with heavy rain predicted in the state on August 13, 14 and 15. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
5 hours ago
- First Post
Uttarkashi flash floods: 43 still missing in Dharali, says official; heavy rain hampers rescue efforts
Nearly a week after flash floods struck Dharali on 5 August, officials have confirmed that 43 people, including nine Army personnel, are still missing, as heavy rain threaten to worsen rescue challenges in Uttarkashi. read more Nearly a week after the devastating flash flood in Dharali, officials on Monday (11 August) confirmed for the first time that 43 people remain missing, including nine Army personnel, The Times of India reported. The officials also warned that 'heavy to very heavy' rain forecast for Uttarkashi and nearby districts until 15 August could trigger fresh landslides and flooding, further hampering search and relief operations. Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said locating those trapped under debris remains the administration's top priority. A joint team comprising the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and geologists has been operating in the disaster-hit area, where unstable slopes and damaged roads have made even short journeys arduous. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Among the missing are nine Army personnel, eight Dharali residents, five people from neighbouring villages, and others from Tehri, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal,' Pandey said. Contact has been re-established with five of the 29 missing Nepali workers, but the rest are still unaccounted for. Two bodies have been recovered so far. More from India Uttarkashi cloudburst: Rescue efforts intensified amid ongoing challenges; 5 dead and many still missing Around 300 residents have chosen to remain in Dharali despite the constant movement of relief vehicles, while others have relocated to Uttarkashi or Dehradun. So far, 1,278 people, including all stranded visitors and locals without means to leave, have been evacuated. Road restoration is progressing slowly due to adverse weather. A Bailey bridge at Limchagaad has been completed, restoring an important link, and heavy machinery has been deployed along the damaged stretch between Dabrani and Sonagad. However, during one operation, a Pokland excavator slipped into the swollen Bhagirathi river while clearing debris. The driver was reportedly swept away and remains missing.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Uttarakhand: 43 people still missing in Dharali flash floods, says govt in first official note
DEHRADUN: Almost a week after the Aug 5 flash flood in Dharali, officials on Monday said for the first time that 43 people were still missing, and issued warning saying "heavy to very heavy" rainfall forecast for Uttarkashi and surrounding districts until Aug 15 could cause fresh landslides and flooding, further delaying search and relief operations. Garhwal commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said finding those trapped under debris was the administration's highest priority. A joint task force from National Disaster Response Force , State Disaster Response Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and a team of geologists, has been working in the disaster zone, where unstable slopes and broken roads complicate even short journeys. "Among the missing are nine Army personnel, eight Dharali locals, five residents from nearby villages, and others from Tehri, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal," Pandey said. Contact has been re-established with five of the 29 missing Nepali workers, but the rest remain untraced. Two bodies have been found so far. In Dharali, about 300 residents have stayed on, living alongside the constant movement of relief vehicles, while those with homes elsewhere have shifted to Uttarkashi or Dehradun. So far, 1,278 people have been evacuated, including all stranded visitors and locals without means to leave. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Most Beautiful Female Athletes Right Now Undo Helicopter operations were suspended on Monday morning because of poor visibility, as light to moderate rain fell across parts of Uttarkashi. Meanwhile, road repair work continued at a staggered pace, hampered by inclement weather. A bailey bridge at Limchagaad has been completed, restoring a key link, and heavy machinery has been deployed on the damaged stretch between Dabrani and Sonagad. However, during one such operation, a Pokland machine slipped into the swollen Bhagirathi river while breaking rock to rebuild a road destroyed by the flood. The driver was reportedly swept away by the gushing waters and remains missing. The dangers extend below the surface. Authorities have warned that a stream from Kheer Gad, buried under debris up to 50 feet deep, may still be flowing beneath the rubble. The fear is that the water is softening the ground into marsh, making excavation treacherous. "The mouth of the stream is clogged with rubble, and water may be running underneath, making the soil unstable," said inspector general, SDRF, and nodal officer Arun Mohan Joshi.
