With connectivity remaining poor, it seems hundreds of people stranded in the upper reaches of Pithoragarh like Darma Valley have been left to their fate as the matter of fact is that the district administration or any other agency engaged in disaster management have not yet been able to establish contact with them due to bad road connectivity.
Bad weather conditions have only added to the woes of the affected people in the disaster-hit areas of the border district Pithoragarh. Due to poor road connectivity, there is no accurate information about the actual number of casualties and people who are still stuck in disaster-hit areas.
Use of air transportation services, as the people here believe, could have come as a ray of hope for the affected people stranded in different disaster-hit parts of Pithoragarh, but after evacuation of a few US nationals from Milam area soon after last week’s devastating cloud bursts and fury of local rivers Kali and Gori, the helicopter service too has not been so effective.
“The road connectivity to upper regions of the border district is already poor. And even a majority of the bridges on rivers which used to come in handy in accessing remote villages in upper Himalayan zones have been washed away. Thus, we have not been able to extend our relief operations in such affected areas of Darma valley and other areas for want of proper road connectivity,” said RS Rana, Disaster Management Officer, Pithoragarh, while talking to The Pioneer.
Poor weather condition on Sunday as it was raining even till 8 am in Dharchula area, the efforts of relief operations have only taken a back seat, maintained the official concerned. “As per our investigation as many as 18 persons have died and 40 others have been injured in this devastating natural calamity across the district so far,” Rana further informed, adding out of the 40 injured people, 10 are reported to be in a serious condition.
Among the worst disaster-hit areas in Pithoragarh include Jauljibi, Dharchula, Darma Valley, Tejam, Nagling, Madkot, Sobla, Baluwakot, Jhuaghat to name a few. Apart from landslides and cloudbursts caused by heavy rain, Kali, Gori and their tributaries’ fury inflicted maximum damage to the lives and properties in the said area.
In the meanwhile, the local people here have expressed their disappointment over poor relief operations by the Government in affected areas. Ignorance on part of the Government in intensifying rescue operations in disaster-affected areas of Pithoragarh, can’t be ruled out, said Hayat Bisht, a resident of Dharchula.