News Analysis India

Tag: Chamoli Floods

  • Uttarakhand glacier burst: Two more bodies recovered from Tapovan site

    By PTI
    GOPESHWAR: Two more bodies were recovered from the flood ravaged Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project site, taking the death toll in the calamity in Uttarakhand to 67 even as search operations continued there for the 15th day on Sunday.

    Three bodies had been recovered from the desilting tank near the Tapovan project barrage by Saturday evening while two more were extricated late at night, district administration officials said.

    Search operation at the project site has been underway on a war footing basis for a fortnight since it bore the brunt of an avalanche triggered by a glacier burst over Rishi Ganga in Chamoli district on February 7.

    The 13.2 mw Rishi Ganga hydel project was totally demolished in the avalanche while the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project suffered extensive damage.

    The recovery of five bodies on Saturday takes the toll in the tragedy to 67 while 137 are still missing.

    Chamoli District Magistrate Swati S Bhadauria had asked the NTPC to press into service additional excavators and divert the course of Dhauli Ganga to the other side so that its water does not flow through the barrage into Tapovan tunnel hampering sludge clearing efforts.

    River water flowing into the tunnel from the barrage has been a major headache for rescuers at the tunnel making the muck clearing operations even more challenging, Bhadauria said.

  • Uttarakhand floods: Change of strategy further delays rescue operations at Tapovan

    Express News Service
    TAPOVAN: The rescue teams at Tapovan have started widening a hole drilled into an approach tunnel on the way to the possible location of over 37 people trapped inside the tunnel of the NTPC’s hydel project.

    After drilling the tunnel ground 12 meter deep and 75mm in diameter, the NTPC began widening it to almost one foot which is estimated to take 8 more hours.

    “The NTPC has decided to increased the diameter of the hole to reach the Silt Flushing Tunnel where the men are suspected to be trapped,” said Ravinath Raman, commissioner of Garhwal division of Uttarakhand.

    ALSO READ| Uttarakhand tragedy: Kin of those trapped in losing hope

    The decision came after the rescue team could not see through any camera device in the SFT.

    The officials also confirmed that the NTPC has confirmed that they have punctured the underground SFT tunnel but all efforts to look inside using camera devices failed as the sludge blocked all efforts to look in. 

    Reports of discontent among state government officials emerged on NTPC officials not being able to devise any strategy which can result in any breakthrough. 

    “Yaar, ye NTPC wale kisi kaam ke nahi. Bs goli de rhe hain! (These NTPC guys are good for nothing. They are just dodging the ball it seems), ” said a senior official from Chamoli district who was present in the meeting taken by commissioner of Garhwal division on Saturday to review the progress of the rescue efforts inside the tunnel by the NTPC Limited.

    ALSO READ: Meet three key women officials working on rescue efforts at Chamoli

    Meanwhile, the rescue teams reached up to 136 metre of the 180-meter tunnel, said the officials. The NTPC officials were also quoted saying that more than 100 scientists are at work to find a way to rescue the trapped men. 

    The state government said the lake which is formed 8 kms upstream from Raini village has around 40-50 meters wide gap through which the water is draining out in a stable manner. The team comprising State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, scientists, experts, and geologists visited the lake to asses the ground situation on Friday and Saturday. 

    ALSO READ: New plan to drill hole with large diameter in Tapovan tunnel for camera insertion

    Satellite images along with a spot visit by a group of experts scientists from various institutions of the center and the state revealed that around 65-70 crore litre water has accumulated in the lake. Till date, total 38 bodies have been recovered while 166 are still missing. 

    Nilesh Anand Bharney, incharge of the State Police Disaster Control Room said, “Total 11 bodies have been identified. We have also recovered 18 body parts from the flood-hit areas out of which 24 have been cremated after taking the DNA samples for further identification.”

  • Uttarakhand floods: New plan to drill hole with large diameter in Tapovan tunnel for camera insertion

    By PTI
    TAPOVAN: Security personnel drilled a hole on their way to a possible location of over 30 people trapped inside the sludge-choked Tapovan tunnel, making a headway at last in the prolonged rescue efforts.

    However, efforts were afoot on Saturday to widen the hole so that a camera could be inserted into the tunnel to get a clue of the trapped men, officials said.

    Drilling of a 12-metre-long hole of 75 mm diameter in the intake adit tunnel to its inside has been successful, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Tapovan, General Manager, R P Ahirwal said.

    “This is a good sign as there is no water or slush pressure observed in the silt-flushing tunnel,” he said in a release.

    “However, the camera could not be inserted due to the presence of slush. Drilling of a larger diameter hole has been planned now. Meanwhile mucking from the intake adit tunnel is in progress. The diameter of bore hole shall be 250-300 mm,” he said.

    ALSO READ: Lake formation at Rishi Ganga river poses bigger threat than Sunday flood

    The marathon rescue operations at the NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project which suffered heavy damages in the Rishi Ganga avalanche entered the seventh day on Saturday.

    So far, 38 bodies have been recovered from the affected areas while 166 people are still missing.

    As many as 25-35 people are believed to be trapped inside the Tapovan tunnel.

    The State Emergency Operation Centre here said scientists of the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing during an aerial survey of Rishiganga found that the glacial lake formed due to the avalanche over it has begun to release water which reduces chances of its breaching or causing a flash flood.

    The lake, which has formed over Rishiganga after the flash flood, had increased the concern of experts on Friday.

  • Chamoli rescue mission: Delay, disruption render changed strategy futile

    Express News Service
    TAPOVAN: After changed strategy and temporary disruption by two hours on Thursday, rescue attempts to save the 37 trapped men at tunnel network in Tapovan Hydropower project seem like a long shot now as no official or agency is able to give any confirmation on how much more time it will take.

    Another body was recovered on Thursday taking the tally to 35 while 169 are still missing.

    Ravinath Raman, commissioner of Garhwal division of Uttarakhand said, “At this point of time, no one can tell how much time the operation will take. This is a developing situation and an unstable landscape. The response strategy keeps changing according to the developing situation. We are trying our level best and doing everything to save the men.”

    The officials added that the terrain is a huge limitation to the rescue process.

    ALSO READ: Glacier burst – Dhauli Ganga water surges, rescue work at Tapovan tunnel halted

    When asked if there is any hope for survival of the trapped men, Ujjwal Bhattacharya, director projects, NTPC Limited which provides technical inputs and the layout of the project to the multi-agency rescue team said, “My priority is to rescue the men. We should all pray for them.”

    Meanwhile, a high voltage drama ensued after water levels of Rishi Ganga and Dhauli Ganga rose due to which the rescue operation in Tapovan tunnel was suspended for two hours.

    A warning was issued to evacuate the rescue spot and leave for high grounds just in case another flash flood comes.

    The press conference by the combined team of state police, administration, NTPC and Indian Army was disrupted after a warning call from Raini village about rising levels of Rishi Ganga river came at around 2.10 pm.

    ALSO READ: Avalanche chases down Tapovan guards

    The officials on the spot — the commissioner, the district magistrate, the superintendent of police, and the deputy inspector general who were in the conference ordered immediate evacuation.

    Barring around 100 personnel from Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the Central Industrial Security Force, everyone left the spot for more than two hours.

    Heavy machinery such as excavators, oil tankers were also moved to higher ground and were brought in only after 4 pm.

    Earlier, drilling of the tunnel ground which started at around 3 am in the morning was stopped after over 9 hours when it reached a 6-meter-depth as sludge and water gushed in.

    ALSO READ: Drilling operation launched at Tapovan tunnel to rescue trapped workers

    The officials from NTPC Limited said that the drilling was stopped fearing damages to the ground and because they feared that the excavator machines would get stuck.

    Ujjwal Bhattacharya from NTPC Limited told, “We brought in two machines for drilling the ground of the tunnel. After the first machine did not work, we used the second one to drill the ground till 6 meters of depth. But then sludge and water started gushing and we had to suspend the drilling for the time being for safety of our men.”

    After resumption, the excavators started clearing off sludge from the tunnel to make way for the rescue team to save the trapped men.

    He added the data from the heli-bound Laser and Electromagnetic Pulse Imager and the data with the NTPC have been mapped together and analysed to see if there was a way to get any breakthrough in the ongoing operation.

    ALSO READ: Did a lost nuclear device cause Chamoli flash floods? Decades-old suspicion comes back to haunt villagers

    Adding that right now his only priority is to rescue the trapped men Bhattacharya informed, “We have also started to look for two places for bodies at the site as the muck has receded a bit. Earlier, it was not possible due to high levels of sludge accumulation.”

    NTPC officials said that they have every resource in tenfold needed for the operation in terms of machinery, expertise and manpower.

    They also added that the project has a design with proper escape routes and that the workers are fully trained and equipped but the flash floods of such a scale rendered all training and backup escape routes futile.

    “Our response time for any eventuality is half an hour. But in this case, the flash floods were of unprecedented scale. Water levels suddenly rose to 40 meters above normal. Unfortunately, our men did not get any time,” said Rajendra Prasad Ahirwar, project manager of the Tapovan Hydropower Project NTPC official.

    ALSO READ: Chamoli disaster – Experts yet to ascertain what caused tragedy

    Responding to the queries of whether the trapped workers were trained enough to deal with such a situation, he added, “Our whole crew is trained and equipped with necessary equipments. They are also given pep talks and are apprised about risks involved in such projects. Even the equipments they operate are licensed and tested with requisite certification.”

    Meanwhile, Indian Navy teams have been deployed to look for bodies in Srinagar, 150 kms from the epicenter of the disaster and elsewhere given that bodies were washed away to various locations.

    “Indian Navy divers are looking for videos at possible locations. We have also started last rites of the bodies which have crossed 72-hour time limit after being recovered. The villages which are cut off are being provided medical help and ration along with other assistance. There are places where chopper cannot land so we have dispatched teams which have called as much as 10kms in hilly terrain to deliver essential items,” said Swati Bhadauria, district magistrate of Chamoli.

    Earlier, in the day, Governor of Uttarakhand, Baby Rani Maurya and speaker of Uttarakhand legislative assembly Prem Chand Agarwal visited the spot.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand glacier burst – Corpse of one UP worker recovered, 33 still missing

    “We should all pray to Baba Badri Vishal to save the men. Our officers are working day and night to save the lives of the men,” said the Governor.

    The officials also told that reports of a lake formation in Rishi Ganga river in higher reaches have surfaced.

    “A meeting has was held in this regard in Delhi. We will act as per the instructions of the higher authorities in this regard,” said the commissioner.

    Meanwhile, the family and relatives anguish in pain of anticipation of the worst outcome.

    Kailash Yadav has travelled from Siwan district of Bihar in hope that his brother, Subhash Yadav who worked as a welder in the project will be rescued soon.

    “I am losing hope now. My family is already broken. These delays and disruptions are now taking a toll. I don’t know what to tell my family,” said Yadav.

  • Chamoli disaster: Rescue strategy changes after labourers found trapped in another tunnel

    Express News Service
    TAPOVAN: The strategy for rescue operation in the tunnel of Tapovan Hydropower project in Chamoli district has changed since the discovery of new information that the 37 labourers may be trapped in another tunnel below the main D-shaped ‘Intake Adit Tunnel’.

    Till now, the D-shaped 180-meter-long tunnel has been the focal point of the three-day-long rescue misson by the combined rescue team comprising Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Disaster Response Force, Indian Army, Indian Reserve Battalion, State Disaster Response Force, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, state police department and other agencies who are trying to get through it to rescue 37 trapped men.

    Ravinath Raman, commissioner of Garhwal division of Uttarakhand told The New Indian Express, “Earlier, the idea was that they might have been trapped inside the 180 meter tunnel at a bend. Now, the rescue team has started drilling the ground at 70-75 meters inside that tunnel to rescue the workers.”

    The development took place after a combined meeting of state government authorities, armed forces and the NTPC.

    ALSO READ: Did a lost nuclear device cause Chamoli flash floods? Decades-old suspicion comes back to haunt villagers

    “The information is constantly emerging and developing because everything is based on anticipation on the basis of the layout of the tunnel. Today we found that the sludge is pushing back from the tunnel. The consensus was reached to look for the workers in Silt Filtration Tunnel (SFT) below the main tunnel,” added the Commissioner.

    Meanwhile, earlier in the day, a senior official from the combined rescue team on the condition of anonymity said, “First two days, we were blind.”

    The official also revealed that the combined team got the detailed layout of the tunnels from the organization building the project only on Tuesday.

    The revelation comes at a time when combined forces are racing against time to save the lives of trapped men.

    ALSO READ: Chamoli disaster – Experts yet to ascertain what caused tragedy

    A representative of the company who is in Chamoli when contacted with the query related to the matter said, “I cannot answer that as my role is different.”

    Radhakrishna, general manager of Rithwik Projects Private Limited said, “We are giving fullest cooperation to the rescue team and other people and we are leaving no stone unturned to save those men. Our technical team are cooperating fully with the rescue team.”

    The Hyderabad-based company is working under the NTPC contract agreement since 2012 in Tapovan Vishnugad Hydro Electric Project.

    The company has also submitted a list of 115 workers, employees who have been missing since the Sunday flash floods including the 37 labourers trapped in the tunnel. 

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand glacier burst – Corpse of one UP worker recovered, 33 still missing

    However, the commissioner of Garhwal division said that they had the layout from the beginning.

    “The layout was never an issue. We have it from the beginning.”

    TNIE has already reported how the rescue team is racing against time to save the trapped men.

    It is notable that the right information helped the rescue team save 12 men trapped in another tunnel on Sunday itself in an operation that spanned for over 6 hours.

    The video shared by the ITBP went viral as the man danced his way out gesturing ‘Balle Balle’ as he was being rescued.

    ALSO READ: Not much progress in rescue operation, says Uttarakhand DGP

    Piyoosh Rautela, executive director, Uttarakhand Disaster Mitigation and Management Center (DMMC) commenting on the issue said, “The rescue team is working on the very spot where the men are trapped since the very beginning. It doesn’t matter if they had the layout or not. Also, tunnel rescue is altogether a different game. Rescue during earthquake, flood and landslide is different while tunnel rescue is more difficult.” 

    He added, “No one will know the layout better than the people involved in the construction of the project. Also, the sludge removal is a tricky task as it moves and fills the space created, making it a difficult and time taking process.” 

    Till Wednesday 5.30 pm a total 34 bodies were recovered while 170 remained missing. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand director general of police was quoted saying that ‘there is not much progress in the rescue operation’.

    Commenting on the progress of tunnel rescue operation, Nilesh Anand Bharney, incharge of State Police Disaster Control Room said, “The rescue team is trying in every way possible to save the lives of the men. It is a tough situation.”

    The rescue team is now using drones, three excavator machines and other equipment with over 100 men working to clear the tunnel while over 800 personnel are on the site. Apart from this around 700 personnel are on standby.

    Other flood efforts

    Till Wednesday evening, the state government agencies have restored water supply in 10 out of 11 blades where water supply was disrupted due to flash floods. Similarly, the power supply has been restored in 11 out of 13 villages which were lost due to the washing away of total of five bridges.

    Ration is also being provided through air support in the villages which are cut off.

    Uttarakhand state public works department on Tuesday started constructing four trolly bridges at the locations where motorable bridges and suspension bridges were washed away in the flash flood.

    The trolly bridges which will carry one person at a time are being installed in Raini village, Tapovan and Juwagad village to connect the villages.

    ALSO READ: 2019 study had warned of Himalayan glaciers melting

    Meanwhile, relatives from various states to where the missing and the trapped belong such as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar and Jharkhand are pouring in Chamoli with their hope hanging by on a thin thread.

    Harpal Singh from Ludhiana of Punjab whose four family members including brothers and cousins are missing visited Tapovan police station to provide details.

    “I hope they are found alive and if trapped in tunnel I am praying for everyone to be rescued alive. I don’t know what to say, think or do in this situation. Our families are numb with shock,” said Singh.

    Prem Singh, a resident of Raini village, an epicenter of the flashfloods whose mother is missing said, “We have lost all hope now. It has been more than 3-days. We cannot even conduct her last rites and rituals as her body is yet to be found.”

    Residents of Raini and adjacent villages continue to sleep in forest areas on higher altitudes fearing another avalanche sometime soon.

  • Uttarakhand glacier burst: Two listed as missing return home safely after being stranded in Chamoli

    By PTI
    TAPOVAN: Two persons who were listed as missing in the avalanche and flash floods in Uttarakhand returned to their homes safely on Wednesday after being stranded in different areas of Chamoli district following the calamity three days ago, officials said.

    Suraj Singh from Chamoli in Uttarakhand and Rashid from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh returned to their homes on Wednesday, Additional District Information Officer, Chamoli, Ravindra Negi said.

    Singh and Rashid were among those missing after the calamity, as per official records.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand glacier burst – Corpse of one UP worker recovered, 33 still missing

    The duo were stranded while they were returning to their villages, the officials said.

    Rescue teams intensified efforts on Wednesday to reach the 25-35 men trapped in a sludge-choked tunnel since the glacier disaster three days ago in the district and more than 170 remain missing.

    ALSO READ: Not much progress in rescue operation, says Uttarakhand DGP

    So far, 32 bodies have been recovered from different places in the disaster-hit areas of Chamoli district, the State Emergency Control Centre in Dehradun said.

    The missing people include those working at NTPC’s 480 MW Tapovan-Vishnugad project and the 13.2 MW Rishiganga Hydel Project and villagers whose homes were washed away as a wall of water came hurtling down mountainsides.

  • No stone left unturned: Officials race against time to save 37 workers trapped in Tapovan Tunnel

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: 55 hours since 37 men were found trapped in the tunnel of Tapovan Hydropower Project in Chamoli district in Uttarakhand on Sunday, combined rescue teams of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the Indian Army, the National Disaster Response Force, the State Disaster Response Force and others have been racing against time to save their lives. 

    Officials from the Army Medical Corps of the Indian Army said that they have been trapped without food, water or heat in the tunnel where temperatures plummet to as low as 2 degrees. 

    An official from the AMC camp just 200 meters away from the rescue spot who did not wish to be identified said, “We are waiting for them to be reached and brought to us. We’re trained to save lives, but time is running low for them. They don’t have food or water or any amenities to shield themselves from the cold.”

    ALSO READ: Families await reunion with loved ones trapped in tunnel

    Officials associated with the project said that workers have enough clothing to give them some protection from the freezing temperatures. 

    Rakesh Dimri, an official from NTPC said on a hopeful note that the workers have been working for a while now and that they are acclimatized to the local climate.

    He added, “They are provided with warm clothes, boots, helmet with headlight and other safety devices such as a torch, a rope, a knife along with other items. I hope they all will be rescued safely.”

    Medical experts said that the availability of ventilation will increase their chance of life. 

    Dr Vipul Kandwal, a medical doctor from Dehradun said, “In this situation, many factors are at play. If they don’t drown, air passage will act as lifesaver. The problem with the sludge accumulation in enclosed space is that it blocks passage of almost everything including Oxygen which is the most essential to live. If there is any way through which air is reaching them, it is a boon.  

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand glacier burst – 70 from UP, including 34 from Lakhimpur Kheri missing

    He also added that comorbidities can become a factor in minimizing their chances to live if the operations stretch for a day or two more. 

    “If any of those workers have any comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension or any other condition it can act as a variable lowering the chances of survival,” added Dr Kandwal. 

    On the other hand, even if all conditions are favorable for survival, another doctor Dr Adarsh Singh said,”time is running out for them as a human can survive without food and water — both for a week or so in such conditions.”

    However, they do not rule out a possibility of a ‘miracle’. 

    “We have witnessed miracles and I am certain that our forces will save all those men. The whole nation’s prayers and wishes are with them,” said Dr Singh. 

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand glacier disaster highlights pressure on Asia’s great rivers – Experts

    Meanwhile, officials have deployed heli-bound Laser and Electromagnetic Pulse Imager to see if there are any air pockets in the 1.9 km long tunnel network at the hydropower project site. 

    “The Laser and Electromagnetic Pulse Imager works on LIDAR concept which we are using in day time to look for air pockets in and around the tunnel. This will help us pinpoint the location for any air pockets,” said Manjunath PC, commandant of the Indian Reserve Battalion.

    In total, six bodies were recovered on Tuesday taking the total body count to 32. Out of these six, 4 were in Raini, one each in Chamoli and Nandprayag.

    According to official estimates, 175 are still missing, whereas a total of five vehicles are said to be trapped in the tunnels including a JCB and a Mahindra Scorpio.

    Rescue efforts

    Divers from the Indian Navy have been deployed to look for bodies at possible locations including in the vicinity of Tapovan project as more than 100 workers were at work in the project. 

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand glacier burst: Scientists leave for Joshimath for surveillance, reconnaissance

    More than 100 personnel from ITBP, SDRF and NDRF are working on the rescue spot while over 800 personnel are on the site. Apart from this 700 personnel are on standby.

    Total two excavator/JCB machines are on the site working round the clock. Till the time of writing this report, the machines have excavated over 6,700 tonnes of muck/slush digging the tunnel 120 meters which is of 30 feet height and 25 feet width. 

    Miles of ropes, dozens of spades, floodlights and other essential equipments are also pressed into service. 

    A drone is being used to look inside the tunnel to find if any entry point is available through the slush/muck.

    ALSO READ: Abrupt snowslide, not glacier burst, might have caused the calamity, says Uttvarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat

    The clearing of the tunnel was done upto 130 meters but the muck from inside the tunnel slowed the team down by reducing the cleared part of the tunnel to 90 meters, said officials.

    Aparna Kumar, deputy-inspector general, ITBP, Dehradun sector said, “Our personnel are working every moment. No stone is left unturned to save those men. We have reached beyond 100 meters at 180 meters stretch of the tunnel where the men are trapped.”

    Many suspect that at this pace, the operation could stretch by another 3 to 4 days. 

    According to state government data, 174 are still missing out of which 37 are trapped inside the tunnel.

    A team of Indian Army also tried to enter the tunnel from another side but had to abort due to the deposition of muck and debris at the spot. 

    EXPLAINED: How glaciers can burst and send floods downstream

    Meanwhile, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat visited the villages which are cut off due to the washing away of four bridges.

    “Rescue and relief operations are on and we hope those men will be saved. We are providing every possible relief in the affected villages,” said the CM.

    Uttarakhand state public works department has also started constructing four trolly bridges at the locations where motorable bridges and suspension bridges were washed away in the flash flood.

    Ayaz Ahmed, chief engineer, PWD, Garhwal region said, “We are using nylon ropes, steel ropes and a trolly to install bridges at three locations where the bridges were washed away. It will take 4-5 days.”

    The trolly bridges which will carry one person at a time are being installed in Raini village, Tapovan and Juwagad village to connect the villages. 

  • Came under sharp attack as environment minister for stopping hydel projects in Uttarakhand: Jairam Ramesh

    Relief is being distributed by helicopters among villagers cut off due to the washing away of a bridge in the avalanche at Malari.

  • Boulders in debris inside Tapovan tunnel biggest hindrance to search operations: ITBP officer

    By PTI
    TAPOVAN: Huge boulders embedded in the debris inside the Tapovan tunnel are causing the biggest hindrance to the ongoing search operations at the NTPC’s damaged hydel project site here, ITBP Deputy Commandant AK Dabral said.

    Around 25 to 35 people are feared trapped in the tunnel since the avalanche hit Joshimath area of Chamoli district on Sunday with rescue efforts by multiple agencies focused on reaching them as soon as possible.

    The combined rescue team has reached up to 130 metres inside the tunnel but there is a lot of debris clogging it, he said.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand glacier burst – 70 from UP, including 34 from Lakhimpur Kheri missing

    People feared trapped inside the tunnel should be at around 200 metres, he said.

    Personnel of the Army, State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, Sashastra Seema Bal are coordinating and working with a defined strategy to get to those trapped inside, Dabral said.

    However, some feel that more sophisticated equipment should be engaged to expedite the rescue operations.

    Kedarnath MLA Manoj Rawat said excavators and Pokland machines should be brought in to speed up the process.

    ALSO READ: No stone left unturned – Officials race against time to save 37 workers trapped in Tapovan Tunnel

    Meanwhile, search efforts at the now demolished hydel project site at Raini also  picked up pace on Tuesday with heavy mechanical equipment tearing through the debris deposited there by the avalanche.

    SDRF personnel have been able to throw ropes across the Rishi Ganga river and are installing trolleys there as an alternative arrangement to transport food and other essentials to the residents of villages cut off due to the washing away of three pedestrian bridges and a motorable bridge in the area.

    Essentials are being supplied to these villages at present by helicopters.

    ALSO READ: Families await reunion with loved ones trapped in tunnel

    Besides, people stranded in these villages are also being evacuated by helicopters.

    Around 150 residents were evacuated from these villages on Tuesday by helicopters, Additional Information Officer Ravindra Negi said.

  • Uttarakhand glacier burst: Families await reunion with loved ones trapped in tunnel

    By PTI
    TAPOVAN: They stand ashen-faced in small clusters near the devastated barrage of the NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project, waiting for some news about their missing relatives.

    Camping at Tapovan since the glacier tragedy struck in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Sunday, the hope of being reunited with their missing kin brings them every morning to the banks of the Dhauli Ganga, half a kilometre from Tapovan, where intense efforts are underway to trace around 30-35 people trapped inside a tunnel that belongs to the project.

    One of the glum-faced bystanders is Dipak Nagwal of Kanchula village, whose sister’s husband Sateshwar Singh, a contractual mechanic, was at work inside the tunnel at the time of the avalanche.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand glacier burst – 70 from UP, including 34 from Lakhimpur Kheri missing

    His whereabouts are not known since the avalanche caught the workmen inside the tunnel unaware.

    The elder brother of Dipak’s brother-in-law and other relatives are also staying with him at Tapovan in the hope of hearing some glad tiding about their missing kin.

    Every time a uniformed securityman comes into view, they run towards him with their queries.

    However, the cluster returns disappointed as there is no news yet about Sateshwar.

    Three men of Chamoli’s kimana village are also stuck inside the tunnel.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand glacier disaster highlights pressure on Asia’s great rivers – Experts

    Over 40 people from the village have been camping at Tapovan.

    Darshan Singh Bisht, a resident of the village, said three of his relatives — Arvind Singh, Ramkishan Singh and Rohit Singh — are trapped in the tunnel.

    Two months ago, the men, aged 18-20 years, joined a firm named Ritik, which worked at the site on contract for the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).

    Their parents are waiting for their return.

    Standing at the tunnel gate, waiting to hear about his brother DS Bisht, Vijay Singh Bisht of Dak village said his restlessness and worries about the well-being of his brother are growing with every passing minute.

    ALSO READ: Abrupt snowslide, not glacier burst, might have caused the calamity, says Uttvarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat

    He said advance equipment should have been used for clearing the debris inside the tunnel.

    That would have expedited the rescue operations, he said.

    Bhawan Singh Farswan (60) of Karchaun village has been coming to the tunnel site along the Dhauli Ganga river since Sunday to find out about a young man from his village, who, he said, is trapped in the tunnel.

    Two members of his family are also missing from the demolished Rishi Gana hydel project site at Raini, Farswan said.

    EXPLAINED: How glaciers can burst and send floods downstream

    People from different parts of the country have gone missing in the tragedy, including 19 from Datunu village of the Jaunsar area in Dehradun district.

    Amar Singh of Datunu, who has come to enquire after his fellow villagers, said the entire village is in a state of shock after the calamity.

    “A total of 25 residents of my village worked at the NTPC project site, of whom six had a day off on Sunday and were luckily saved, but the rest are trapped inside the tunnel,” Singh said.

    The scene at Raini, where 46 people went missing at the Rishi Ganga project site, is similar.

    People have gathered there to find out about their relatives.

    Four bodies were recovered at Raini on Tuesday, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) commandant Navneet Singh Bhullar said, adding that one of the bodies was that of a police constable.

    “The daunting task of clearing the debris inside the tunnel at Tapovan is being dealt with by a multi-agency team of security personnel and we hope to make a headway,” he said.

    The death toll from the Uttarakhand glacier disaster has climbed to 31 with five more bodies recovered, while around 175 people are still missing, officials said on Tuesday.