Even two years after the disaster wreaked havoc in Uttarakhand, many people in various disaster affected areas are still suffering from the damage caused on June 16-17 in 2013. Many villages in the Joshimath development block under Chamoli district continued to face the repercussions of the disaster till date.
located along the national highway 58 to Badrinath, the Patudi village had also been affected by the disaster. The pedestrian bridge used by villagers to cross the Alaknanda river had been destroyed in the 2013 disaster. With the Government failing to construct a bridge to replace the one destroyed in the disaster, the villagers are forced to use a temporary bridge made of wooden poles and blocks.
However, even this wooden bridge becomes unusable urging the rains. The villagers have been facing major hardships due to the failure of the authorities to provide a replacement bridge.
The villagers and visitors are forced to use the rickety wooden bridge to access the Patudi village risking injury or worse. locals complained that while the State Government claimed to have done major disaster relief and reconstruction works, they are still forced to use an unsafe temporary bridge due to the Government’s failure to provide a safe bridge in the area.
Additionally, the devotees travelling to one of the Panch Kedar shrines - Kalpnath are also facing hardships as the necessary bridge was not being constructed for reaching the shrine.
The devotees travelling to Kalpnath too are forced to use a kuccha bridge. Observers pointed out that while the Government claimed to have undertaken considerable reconstruction works in disaster affected areas, most of such works have been limited to the Char Dham pilgrimage road circuit. Many of the disaster affected people in rural areas continued to suffer from the after-effects of the disaster.