Even as search and relief efforts continued in disaster-affected areas of Chamoli and Pithoragarh districts, the State authorities on Sunday stated that 18 people had died so far while about 18 are reported missing since the disaster on July 1. Further, the State authorities are in the process of sending a request to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs seeking provision of two helicopters to be based on deployment at Gauchar for the Garhwal region and Haldwani for the Kumaon region for rescue, relief and other disaster-related works.
For the period July 3 to 7, the meteorological centre has forecast probability of light rain in the State with some areas likely to experience heavy spells of rain but the warning issued earlier has now been withdrawn. The disaster management secretary Shailesh Bagauli said this while briefing the media at the secretariat.
He informed that as on July 3, the total number of human deaths had reached 18, of which 15 were in Pithoragarh and three in Chamoli. Of the 18 persons reported missing six are in Chamoli and 12 in Pithoragarh. Presently, 356 mechanical excavators and other machines are being used for clearing debris and reopening blocked roads.
The National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo Tibetan Border Police Force, the police and teams of the Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre are conducting search and rescue works in the disaster hit areas with an additional NDRF team being sent for Pithoragarh along with a sniffer dog squad to help search for persons who may have survived under the debris, he said.
Incidence of damage caused by heavy rain, flash floods and debris causing damage following heavy rain on July 1 were reported from Didihat and Thal in Pithoragarh district. Here, about 160 families from Sigali, Dafila, Bastudi and Naulda areas were reported to be affected by disaster which also caused 11 deaths in Bastadi, three deaths in Naulda village and one in Charma.We are dispatching one bailey bridge and four folding bridges for use in disaster affected areas in Kumaon in addition to four trolleys which would be used for carrying people and goods across rivers.
The secretary said that most of the roads blocked by debris have been cleared and reopened while the remaining blocked roads are expected to be cleared in the next couple of days. Similarly, the supply of water and electricity has been restored in many villages with the few remaining villages will have these restored in a day or two.
Referring to the meteorological forecast of light rain with isolated heavy rain between July 3 and 7, he said that the red warning had been withdrawn now though the Government machinery is on the alert with the citizens also requested to remain alert in general.
He said, “Today we are going to send a request to the Union Home Ministry seeking deployment of two helicopters in Uttarakhand for rescue, relief and other disaster related tasks in case of disaster incidents in the future. Further, the State is also once again eliciting necessary action from the Centre on the installation of Doppler radar, also proposing to fund the establishment cost for the same along with other measures under the world bank aided disaster recovery project. The proposal of the Doppler radars slated to be installed at Mussoorie and Almora has been pending in the absence of clearance from the Indian Meteorological Department.”