24 killed, 202 still missing; rescue work gathers pace in Uttarakhand

Rescue and relief work in the disaster-hit areas of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand gathered pace on Monday as a multi-agency operation continued with its effort to save people trapped inside a tunnel of the Tapovan-Vishnugad project which was blocked by the deluge resulting from a glacial burst on Sunday morning.

So far, bodies of 24 people have been recovered from different places following the avalanche, reported Uttarakhand Police. The ITBP, which is engaged in the rescue operations, also cited updated inputs received from the local administration and said that 202 people are still missing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday discussed the situation in Uttarakhand following the disaster with Members of Parliament from the state. According to sources, PM Modi told the Uttarakhand MPs that the government and all its institutions stand with the state in this period of calamity and asserted that all help will be extended to minimise the loss of life and aid in relief work.

Around 425 personnel of the ITBP, 70 personnel of the SDRF, 129 personnel of the NDRF and 124 from the Armed forces, aided by sniffer dogs, are carrying out what is being called the biggest rescue operation in the mountain state since the 2013 Kedarnath disaster. DGP Ashok Kumar said that the rescue workers were using bulldozers, JCB and other machines in their operation. “The Vishnugad tunnel is very difficult to enter as there is a curve inside. But we are confident that our brave forces will try their best to rescue the trapped people,” said Kumar.

However, confusion still persists on how many people have been rescued so far. A statement of the state disaster control centre claims that 27 people have been rescued so far. However, top police officials maintained that only 12 have been rescued. All the people who were rescued on Sunday evening were rushed to the ITBP hospital in Joshimath.

Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat has stated that nearly 176 people had been working in the two hydel projects when disaster struck.

In the meeting with PM Modi and the Uttarakhand MPs, relief efforts and the future course of action were discussed. The meeting was also attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda.

“Going forward, scientific studies will be conducted to understand the cycle of natural calamities in this natural disaster-prone state and best practices to be adopted to minimise loss of life and property due to these calamities,” PM Modi reportedly said in the meeting.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Union Power Minister R.K. Singh visited the site where NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad project is being built to take stock of the situation. He was accompanied by top state government officials including State Power Secretary Radhika Jha. “We will not scrap the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project,” Singh told reporters.

The disaster took place after a glacier broke in the Tapovan-Reni area in Chamoli on Sunday, causing the water level in the Dhauliganga river to surge and the Alaknanda river to flood. An avalanche near the Rishi Ganga power project also followed, causing the destruction of the Rishi Ganga hydro project and damage of several nearby houses.