News Analysis India

Tag: Chamoli Floods 2021

  • Men in uniform saved our lives: Survivors of Chamoli disaster grateful for new lease of life

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: K Sriniwas Reddy, a geologist from Hyderabad who is among the lucky 12 to be rescued by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police on Sunday believes he got a new lease of life. 

    “I feel blessed as I am safe now. I thank these brave men and God for saving my life. I thought that we are not going to survive this,” says Reddy. 

    “When we finally reached the mouth of the tunnel, we realised it was completely blocked. The light was coming in through a small opening and a colleague of ours got some mobile network. We managed to call our officers and were finally saved by the ITBP,” added Reddy. 

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand glacier burst: 55 UP labourers missing at Tapovan power project site

    It took an operation of over 6 hours to get these men out of the tunnel which was filled up with water.

    “Luckily, we were towards higher end of the tunnel. A sudden gush of water was followed after a thundering noise. Before we could understand, we were knee-deep in water and muck rising. We just ran towards end of the tunnel. One of us acted as there was still network in his phone,” recalls Suraj, one of the workers who is admitted in ITBP hospital in Joshimath, 15 kms from Tapovan, the site of the major damages. 

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

    Birendra Kumar (50), senior foreman working the project acted quickly and called up his general manager to save 12 lives including his. 

    The Dhak village resident said, “We were all panicking and suddenly in the midst of all that, we felt the vibrations of my phone. I didn’t think much. I called my boss Rakesh Dimri and told him that we were trapped in a tunnel. He informed the authorities and the men in uniform saved our lives. We all thank them. They are our Gods.”

    EXPLAINED: How glaciers can burst and send floods downstream

    Sanjay Kumar, deputy commandant of the First Battalion of the ITBP who led the operation told The New Indian Express, “Once we got the information, our teams moved ahead with the task. We just wanted to save those men at any cost. It took over 7 hours because we learned that the usage of heavy machinery might hurt them. So we dug slowly and even used our hands.”

    In a bid to save the men trapped in the tunnel, the ITBP used ropes, pulleys, carabiners and spades to descend into the muck.

    Out of 12 rescued from the tunnel, four are residents of Nepal. 

    Sant Bahadur, a resident of Kanchanpur district of Nepal said, “Finally, we will be able to see our families. We thought that this was our end. These people saved us. We will now go back to our homes, first thing.”

    Out of other survivors who are recovering in various medical centers including an ITBP hospital, many are still in shock. 

    “Their mind is still coping with the shock and trauma the disaster caused to them. We are doing everything we can to make them healthy soon,” said a doctor from one of the medical centers.

  • Abrupt snowslide, not glacier burst, might have caused the calamity: Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat

    By PTI
    DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat Monday quoted scientists to say that the areas where avalanches struck on Sunday was not prone to such activities, and the calamity might have been caused by an “abrupt sliding down” of millions of tonnes of snow from a hill, rather than due to a glacier burst.

    He also appealed to people to not make the tragedy an occasion for building an “anti-development narrative”, as he left for the flood-hit areas of Chamoli for an on-the-spot assessment of relief and rescue operations.

    He made the statement on the cause of the tragedy after holding a meeting here with ISRO scientists and officials of the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on finding out the exact reason for the calamity that has left at least 20 dead and over 150 missing.

    EXPLAINED: How glaciers can burst and send floods downstream

    He said ISRO officials showed him pictures in which no glacier is visible at the place where the burst started, but only a naked hill can be seen.

    Something is visible on the top of it, he said, adding it might have been the trigger point from where the huge amount of snow slid down, causing the flashflood in the Rishiganga and Dhauli Ganga rivers.

    “According to the scientists, the area where the calamity struck is not prone to avalanches and apparently it was not caused by a glacier burst as initial reports suggested,” he said.

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

    “It was due to millions of metric tonnes of snow sliding down abruptly from a trigger point on the top of a naked hill,” Rawat said.

    The area had received snowfall in the days leading up to Sunday when the disaster struck.

    Before he left for the flood-affected areas, he tweeted, “I am leaving for disaster site and will spend night in the region itself. Our relief & rescue operations is continuing in full swing & we are getting help from all quarters. I request everyone to not use this natural disaster as a reason to build anti-development narrative.”

  • Water levels surge up in Dhauli Ganga once again

    By PTI
    TAPOVAN: The water level in the Dhauli Ganga river surged up once again on Sunday night under the impact of the glacial burst during the day, creating panic among people living in the area.

    The sudden surge in the water level in the Dhauli Ganga at around 8 pm prompted authorities to suspend rescue operations underway at a project site in the vicinity of the river for the time being.

    ALSO READ: Efforts underway to rescue 30-35 workers trapped in tunnel

    Rescue efforts, focussed on extricating 30-35 people trapped in the debris clogging one of the tunnels at the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project, will be resumed on Monday morning, the GM of the project said.

    Swirling waters of the river gurgling downwards are causing fear among people living in the area, he said late Sunday night.

  • Uttarakhand glacier burst: A tranquil morning turned into tragedy for villagers

    By PTI
    RAINI: It was a tranquil winter morning in Raini village until the residents were jolted at around 10 AM on Sunday by a loud sound and the sight of huge torrents of water and sludge in the Rishi Ganga river hurtling towards them.

    “Before we could make out what was happening, the raging muddy waters of Rishi Ganga had devastated the landscape,” says 50-year-old Dharam Singh, a resident of the village.

    The scenes brought back to the people horrifying memories of the 2013 Kedarnath deluge that killed thousands.

    Many were feared swept away in the sudden floods on Sunday including those who were working near the river.

    ALSO READ: ‘Nayi zindagi mili’ – ITBP rescues workers stuck in flash-flood hit tunnel

    Three residents of the village including a 75-year-old woman identified as Amrita Devi who had gone out to work in her field close to the bridge on Rishi Ganga are missing since the avalanche struck after the Nanda Devi glacier burst.

    Others missing include Yashpal Singh of Valli Raini who had gone to the fields to graze his livestock and disappeared along with them.

    Ranjit Singh, 25, of the village who worked in the Rishi Ganga hydel project is also missing after the avalanche.

    The avalanche destroyed the project commissioned in 2020.

    ALSO READ: Efforts underway to rescue 30-35 workers trapped in tunnel

    A major motorable bridge on the main border road was also washed away.

    Pradeep Rana of Juwa Gwan village said Sanjay Singh, a resident of the same village who had gone out to the fields to graze his goats, is also missing.

    Some ancient temples built about 20 metres above the confluence of Rishi Ganga and Dhauli Ganga rivers have also been swept away by the violent avalanche.

    Umeli Devi, 34, who had come from Nepal to work in the Rishi Ganga hydel project said ten of her colleagues had been swept away in the avalanche.

    She said male members of her family who worked as labourers in the power project are all missing.

    Dharam Singh of Raini said as the deluge came gurgling loudly it sent a chill down the spine of people living in the area who find it hard to forget the 2013 tragedy.

    The forest area of Nanda Devi National Park has also suffered great devastation due to the avalanche, he said.

    While seven bodies were pulled out from the power project tunnel, at least 125 people were still missing in the affected areas.

    Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said the numbers could be higher.

  • Uttarakhand floods: Efforts underway to rescue 30-35 workers trapped in tunnel

    By PTI
    TAPOVAN: Rescue efforts at present are focussed on extricating 30-35 workers trapped in a tunnel of the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project on the Dhauli Ganga river, following an avalanche triggered by a glacial burst near Joshimath in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, an official said late Sunday night.

    Around 30-35 people including workers and employees of the 480 mw Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project on the Dhauli Ganga river are feared trapped inside one of the tunnels following the avalanche, Project GM RP Ahirwar said.

    ALSO READ: ‘Nayi zindagi mili’ – ITBP rescues workers stuck in flash-flood hit tunnel

    JCBs and Pokland machines are being used to cut into the debris clogging the tunnel to rescue the trapped workers, he said.

    Efforts are being made on priority to save as many lives as possible, he said.

  • Dhauli Ganga river’s water level at Joshimath breached all records after glacial burst: CWC official

    The intensity of the river #39;s flow in a short span of time was such that it engulfed whatever came in its way.

  • High alert in Uttar Pradesh as glacier breaks off in neighbouring Uttarakhand

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday put on alert the authorities in all districts on the banks of the Ganga and asked them to continuously monitor the water levels in the river after a glacier broke off at Joshimath in neighbouring Uttarakhand’s Chamoli, triggering a massive flood there.

    The glacier burst triggered an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at least seven people dead and 125 missing who are feared dead.

    In a disaster alert issued to district magistrates in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, the relief commissioner said, “Reports of breaking off a part of the Nanda Devi glacier in Uttarakhand have been received. The districts on the (banks of the) Ganga river need to be on a high alert and the monitoring of water level needs to be done 24×7.”

    “If required, people should be taken to safer places. The NDRF, SDRF and PAC Flood Company have been instructed to be on the highest alert,” the statement added.

    ALSO READ: ‘Nayi zindagi mili’ – ITBP rescues workers stuck in flash-flood hit tunnel

    In a tweet in Hindi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “To tackle the natural disaster in Uttarakhand, the Uttar Pradesh government will extend all possible help.”

    In another tweet, he said, “Feel sad by the news that many people are feared dead in the disaster which took place after breaking off a glacier. I pray to Lord Ram to give peace to the souls who have passed away, strength to the aggrieved family members to bear the loss and speedy recovery to the injured.”

    Later in a statement, the chief minister said in case of an increase in the water levels, people residing close to the the banks of the Ganga should be shifted elsewhere.

    He appealed to people not believe in any rumour.

    “People should exercise caution and not venture towards the river banks. In case of any adverse circumstances, cooperate with the district administration. The UP government is taking all necessary steps,” he said.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand flood – 2019 study warned Himalayan glaciers melting at alarming speed

    Interacting with reporters in Ayodhya, Adityanath said as the Ganga covers almost 1,000 kilometres in the state, they are exercising full caution.

    He said the the Jal Shakti Department was alerted soon after the incident.

    “The Home Department is keeping a watch,” he said, adding that water in the Alaknanda river is fast receding.

    “Our supposition is that the water will take time to reach lower areas. After Haridwar, we will absorb this water at the barrages in Narora and Bijnor, and there will be no problem in the downstream areas,” he said.

    “Despite this, all 25 districts in the state where the Ganga flows have been alerted. The emergency and home departments and the SDRF are on alert,” the chief minister said, stressing there is no need to fear.

    ALSO READ: Glacial burst in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district grim reminder of 2013 Kedarnath deluge

    In Kannauj, District Magistrate Rakesh Kumar Mishra convened an emergency meeting of officials.

    Divers and revenue officials of villages located on the banks of the Ganga have been told to remain on alert.

    Mishra inspected the Mahadevi Ghat in the district and said in case of rise in water levels, villagers will be taken to safer places.

    In Ballia too, the district administration alerted people, according to District Magistrate Shrihari Pratap Shahi.

    Irrigation officials said the department is on alert and the Ganga is flowing almost five metres below the danger mark.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand glacier burst – Army deploys four columns, medical teams for rescue operations

    In Shahjahanpur, people on “kalpvaas”(a peiod of austerity observed by devotess in the month of Magha near the river banks) are being taken to safer places while others have been told to remain alert.

    District Magistrate Indra Kumar Singh told PTI, “During the month of Magha, ‘kalpvaasis’ stay for almost one month on the banks of river Ganga, take bath and offer prayers. Almost 100 ‘kalpvaasis’ are being shifted to safer and higher places.”

    Superintendent of Police S Anand said they told villagers to go to safer places.

  • ‘Nayi zindagi mili’: ITBP rescues workers stuck in flash-flood hit tunnel

    By PTI
    DEHRADUN: Covered in mud, several men were safely pulled out one after the other from a slush-covered tunnel by ITBP personnel in the Tapovan power project area that was swept away by a flash flood triggered by a glacier break in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on Sunday.

    In a video of the operation shared by the border force, the rescuers can be seen raising slogans of ‘dum lagakey haisha’ while retrieving a couple of men through the vertical and narrow snout of the tunnel with the help of a rope line.

    Those present at the spot motivated the men in action with ‘bahut badhiya’ and ‘shabaash’, jo ‘bole so nihaal’ and ‘jai ho’ slogans.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand flood – 2019 study warned Himalayan glaciers melting at alarming speed

    One of the workers rescued from the tunnel was seen taking a euphoric leap as the ITBP personnel patted his back in recognition of the grit and endurance displayed by him despite being hit by a disaster and being swamped with mud.

    “Apna bhai aa gaya (our brother is back),” said a local who works in the project area as another official summed up the mood in the disaster zone by saying “nayi zindagi mili (those rescued got a new life)”.

    Multiple teams of the force, with personnel wearing protective gear and helmets, were rushed to the Tapovan power project site from their 1st battalion base in Joshimath and the ITBP mountaineering and skiing institute located nearby in Auli to launch search and rescue works.

    ALSO READ: Glacial burst in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district grim reminder of 2013 Kedarnath deluge

    Armed with mountain rescue gear, ropes, pulleys and carabiniers, the ITBP men were seen taking out the workers and putting them on stretchers that they brought along with them.

    ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey said in Delhi that his personnel stationed at the Joshimath base heard a “large bang and screams of people” shortly after 10:45 AM when the tragedy is stated to have struck the two dam sites near the Raini village in Chamoli.

    A flash flood in the Dhauli Ganga river caused large-scale devastation in the upper reaches of the ecologically fragile Himalayas.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand glacier burst – Army deploys four columns, medical teams for rescue operations

    “A total of 12 workers have been rescued from the tunnel site till now. There is a second tunnel too where the rescuers are working,” Pandey said.

    Chamoli, about 270 kms from state capital Dehradun, is a border district along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and it is well known for the Badrinath shrine that is located very close to the last Indian village in Mana.

    The ITBP has a large deployment here as part of its mandate to guard the LAC.

  • As Minister, I was against power projects on Ganga, its main tributaries: Uma Bharti

    Uma Bharti was the Minister of water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation during the first term of the Modi government.

  • Uttarakhand floods: PM Narendra Modi okays Rs 2 lakh ex gratia for kin of those dead

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives due to the avalanche caused by a glacial burst in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Sunday.

    The PMO also said Rs 50,000 would be given to those seriously injured.

    A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations and trapped more than 100 labourers who are feared dead.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand flood – 2019 study warned Himalayan glaciers melting at alarming speed

    “PM Narendra Modi has approved an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF (Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund) for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the tragic avalanche caused by a Glacier breach in Chamoli, Uttrakhand. Rs 50,000 would be given to those seriously injured,” the PMO tweeted.

    The sudden flood in the middle of the day in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers — all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga — triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas.

    ALSO READ: Glacial burst in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district grim reminder of 2013 Kedarnath deluge

    Two power projects – NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project – were extensively damaged with scores of labourers trapped in tunnels as the waters came rushing in.

    Sixteen men were rescued safely from a tunnel in the Tapovan project but about 125 were still missing.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand glacier burst – Army deploys four columns, medical teams for rescue operations

    As night fell in the ecologically fragile Himalayas and rescue work in the difficult to access areas became more difficult, there were fears they may be dead.

    Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said seven bodies were recovered and at least 125 were missing.