Many areas of the Yamuna and Tons valleys have not got over the effects of last year’s disaster due to which the life of people there has become very difficult.
The Kharadi township, a prominent stop on the pilgrimage to Yamunotri, sustained considerable damage from the rising waters of the Yamuna last year. The repair and flood protection works have not progressed much since the disaster struck last year.
On June 16 last year the flow of the Yamuna had increased in the Uttarkashi district. The rising waters of the river had caused much apprehension among the people in Kharadi, many of whom had vacated the homes, shops and hotels in the night itself.
On the morning of June 17, 2013, the raging waters of the Yamuna swept away four buildings including hotels and homes. In addition to this, part of the Yamunotri national highway and agricultural land was also swept away by the river in the area.
Since then, the people living in the Kharadi township have been living in anxiety about their safety. Though the irrigation department is getting the flood safety work executed here, it is in initial stages and the progress is extremely slow at a time when the advent of the monsoon season in Uttarakhand is said to be a few days away. Due to this, the Yamunotri national highway is likely to face threat in case of heavy rains.
On the other hand, the effects of last year’s disaster continue to affect life in the Tons valley too.
In the Mori sub-division, the bridge providing a link to seven villages in Panchgai Patti was swept away on June 17 last year by the rising waters of Tons river after heavy rains. The villagers have thrown logs on the river to make a temporary arrangement for crossing the river.
Villagers Ramesh Singh and Surendra Singh accuse the State government of being apathetic towards the condition of the disaster victims living in this area.
They, like most locals here, believe that if the repair and flood protection works are not completed on time, the situation in this region could get worse in the rainy season.
The people living in disaster affected area allege that corruption in the Government machinery has prevented the required repair, reconstruction and safety works from being done in disaster affected areas more than a year after disaster wreaked havoc in the State.