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Time of India
a day ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Now, Mukhba village at risk as Bhagirathi changes course
Uttarkashi: The sound of rushing water in Mukhba no longer soothes. It causes fear. This quiet hamlet, perched at 2,600 metres in Uttarkashi's Harshil valley, from where the first videos of a flood-hit Dharali were shot on Aug 5, is now under threat as the Bhagirathi river has sharply altered course in the disaster's aftermath. Once flowing midstream, its waters now slam into the hillside directly below Mukhba, accelerating soil erosion and threatening the village of nearly 500 residents. Chunks of land have already been swallowed by the current, taking with them the villagers' sense of safety. Suresh Semwal, secretary of the Shri Panch Gangotri Temple Committee, fears the worst. "If this erosion continues, the village will surely be at risk," he said, warning that the same forces that tore through Dharali are now gnawing at the slopes beneath Mukhba. "We saw what happened just across the river -- how land, homes and livelihoods vanished. If urgent measures aren't taken, Mukhba could be next," Semwal added. Local resident Rajesh Semwal stressed that Mukhba -- the winter home of Goddess Ganga -- was a place of immense spiritual and cultural significance, and "urgent steps should be taken to protect it." "Every hour we delay, the river takes more of our land. This isn't just soil washing away, it's our heritage, homes and future. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 11 Harry Potter Actors Who Grew Up Stunningly. The Latest Article Undo Work on a protection wall must begin immediately, before the next surge leaves us with nothing to save," he said. Above the torrent, the 1980s suspension bridge linking Mukhba to Dharali and the rest of Uttarkashi district sways under mounting strain, with its stone abutments crumbling. Declared unsafe on Tuesday, this lone artery saved lives during the Dharali disaster, when people from Mukhba saw the flash flood approaching and raised the alarm. Army engineers and disaster response teams are working urgently to secure and repair it. For now, only one person is allowed to cross at a time, officials said. "If the bridge goes, so does our lifeline," said local priest Rajnikant Semwal. District magistrate Prashant Arya said, "A zip line will soon connect Mukhba and Dharali to maintain the flow of relief supplies. Engineers believe the bridge can be repaired, but any permanent safety wall will have to wait until the river calms." Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Gangotri traders face Rs 50cr loss from disaster as 300 shops shut, tourism paralysed
Dehradun: Gangotri Dham, which draws lakhs of pilgrims every year during the Char Dham yatra, now stands empty and silent, with about 300 shops in its premises shut after a flash flood hit Dharali village, 20 km before the shrine. Located on the banks of the Bhagirathi, Gangotri remains cut off after stretches of road between the shrine and Bhatwari block, including a 200m section near Dabrani and a 600m stretch near Songad, were completely washed away. Communication lines are down, movement of essential goods has stopped, and the local economy is reeling. Suresh Semwal, secretary of the Gangotri Temple Samiti, told TOI on Tuesday, "To date, the possible loss is around Rs 50 crore, and it will only increase. All 300-odd shops in the temple premises have been shut, and many others, including purohits, mule and horse handlers, and daily wage workers, have been badly affected. It has been eight days since the disaster, and we don't know how long it will take for things to return to normal. " Over eight lakh pilgrims visited the shrine last year, and official data shows more than six lakh had come this year before the disaster. Somesh Singh Semwal, who runs a hotel, restaurant, and confectionery shop, said, "I earn around Rs 30,000 to 40,000 daily during this time every year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Become Fluent in Any Language Talkpal AI Sign Up Undo Now it has gone down to zero." Many other businesses, including those selling prasad and traditional dress shops, are also facing heavy losses, with traders warning that prolonged closure could wipe out the yatra season for them entirely. Following the flash floods, around 1,200 tourists were evacuated from Gangotri and Harsil, officials said. NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, and Indian Army teams continue search and rescue operations, with the govt on Tuesday releasing details of the two confirmed dead and the 66 — including 24 Nepalis — still missing. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Public Works Department (PWD), and other teams are also working to restore road connectivity, with BRO on Sunday completing a bailey bridge at Limchigadh after a vital 25m bridge connecting the road to Harsil was washed away in the Aug 5 flash flood. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
07-08-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
20 seconds to disaster: How frantic whistling by locals saved dozens in flash flood; ancient alert system beats modern tech in Uttarkashi's cloudburst
DEHRADUN: It took 20 seconds. That was all the time between the moment a wall of water revealed itself across the mountains and when it crashed into Dharali, the epicentre of Tuesday's flash flood along the Kheer Gad river in Uttarkashi's Harsil valley. The moments came and went like held breath - brief, taut, and gone before most could react. But in that short span, another village perched on the opposite slope saw what was coming - and made it just long enough for others to run. They made the difference between life and death for dozens. Set at over 2,600 metres, Mukhba, a quiet hamlet with homes built in the centuries-old Koti Banal style, had the vantage point. It also had vigilance. Suresh Semwal, secretary of the Gangotri Temple Samiti, was at lunch when the valley began to vibrate with a guttural, unfamiliar roar. 'Elders sensed it could be flash flood, something they've lived through before' Suresh stepped out, joined by his neighbours Mukesh Semwal, Harish Nautiyal, and Subhash Semwal and others. They scanned the snowy ridgelines of Srikanth, Jaonli and Hindyani peaks. What they saw was not just water — it was a debrisladen deluge plummeting down the Kheer Gad, fast and loud, and invisible to those directly in its path. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What Will Happen to Your Body If You Start Eating 3 Eggs Every Day? Undo What followed was instinctive. The men reached for their phones, called anyone they could in Dharali, and, perhaps more powerfully, reached for their whistles — small, traditional wooden instruments still used across Garhwal to raise alarms. They began blowing them in rhythm, loud and urgent, the sound ricocheting across the slope. In the videos that later emerged on social media, the response in Dharali is immediate — people looking up, recognising the danger, and running for higher ground. Rajnikant Semwal, a resident of Mukhba and Suresh's nephew, told TOI, 'The Kheer Gad originates from Srikanth Parvat, and because of a sharp bend near the ridge, people in Dharali couldn't see what was coming. Only those of us on this side could.' The villagers initially mistook the noise for thunder, Rajnikant said. 'But it grew and wouldn't stop. The elders sensed it could be a flash flood, something we've lived through before. No one knew how bad it would be, but the whistles went out regardless.' In Dehradun, a Mukhba resident said, 'You can see it in the videos — people start running right after hearing the whistles. The sound travels fast in these hills. So does danger.' Attempts to reach Suresh or the others for their account of the moment have been unsuccessful — mobile towers were damaged in the flood and power lines remain down. Technology failed — but tradition, attention, and presence of mind did not. Mukhba is no stranger to spiritual or environmental force. Local lore speaks of a shrine built here during the time of the Pandavas, and the village's temple remains central to Gangotri's winter rituals. Each year, on Diwali, the idol of goddess Ganga is brought down from Gangotri to Mukhba and stays here until Akshaya Tritiya in April. The Semwal family, hereditary priests of the shrine, lead the procession — often joined by members of the Chand community, who serve as temple drummers and ritual custodians. That same route — a 6km stretch between Mukhba and Jangla — has remained unfinished for decades, despite long-standing approval. The road, meant to ease movement for residents and ritual processions alike, continues to stall under the weight of eco-sensitive regulations. Frustration reached a tipping point last month, with locals threatening to boycott last month's panchayat polls over what they described as neglect — not just of infrastructure, but of identity.
