Social activists have blamed the death of eight workers in an avalanche that hit a BRO camp at Mana in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district last week on "administrative negligence" and said the lives could have been saved had the authorities paid heed to a snowslide warning. They also blame "reckless construction" works in avalanche-prone areas for the rise in snowslide incidents.
The Chandigarh-based Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE) issued an avalanche warning for a 24-hour period at 5 pm on February 27 for places located above the height of 2,400 metres such as Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts of Uttarakhand.
The avalanche hit the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in Chamoli between 5.30 am and 6 am on February 28, trapping 54 workers. While 46 of them were rescued alive, eight were found dead.
Atul Sati, a social worker and the convener of Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti said "administrative negligence" led to the death of the eight workers.
"There was an avalanche warning and authorities should have acted on time," he said.
Following the incident, the Uttarakhand government issued an advisory for tourists staying in skiing destination Auli which has no history of avalanches, Sati said and alleged that it looks like an attempt to divert people's attention from the state's failure.
"When there was a warning and the authorities were aware that such a large number of workers were in Mana, why weren't they advised to move to safety?" asked another social activist.
The weather office in Dehradun issued a yellow alert for February 27, two days in advance, predicting isolated heavy rain and snowfall in locations situated at 3,500 metres and above. However, the State Emergency Operations Centre here alerted the district magistrates concerned on February 28 when the avalanche had already hit the camp.
Over the last four years, two dwelling units of BRO workers have been destroyed by avalanches in the Chamoli district alone. An avalanche in April 2021 destroyed a settlement of workers in Niti Valley adjoining the Indo-Tibet border, killing as many labourers.
Experts feel that the snowslides are a result of reckless construction being carried out in avalanche-prone areas. Renowned geologist MPS Bisht, an expert on weather movements in the Kedar Valley, said the entire area is vulnerable to avalanches that keep coming from the Nar Parvat.
Construction activities are being carried out recklessly even in areas identified for vulnerability without thinking over the consequences, he said. "Disasters are the result of this."
