Landslides leave three thousand tourists stranded, flood claims 36 lives in Uttarakhand
Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand): Landslides triggered by flashfloods have left about three
thousand tourists stranded in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district while flood in Almora district has claimed 36 lives. The tourists from various states were on Char Dham
yatra to the popular pilgrimage of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.
They said that they do not have enough food, drinking water and money left with
them. "We are stuck here for the last four to five days. There is no facility for food
and we are in a lot of trouble. We have spent all our money. The train ticket has also
been cancelled. We are wondering how will we go back home," said Ram Swaroop,
a tourist. Government Officials have indicated that they are making arrangements for
food. "In our district, we have made teams for every block, in which we have taken
the support of everyone. Along with the revenue staff, we have also included village
heads and other well-known local volunteers of NGOs (Non-Governmental
Organisation)," said Hem Lata Dodiyal, District Magistrate, Uttarkashi. "This is
because we are worried about the fact that if the road does not open in the next two
to three days, then there may be a fear of food shortage. So, we have arranged for
that before hand," she added. Heavy rains and landslides in the region have damaged
the roads severely, disconnecting the routes to nearby cities and towns.
The flood situation in Uttarakhand's Almora district has killed 36 people, destroying
20 villages out of 2,200 villages in the district. Relief workers are operating to
remove debris and reach out to the people trapped in far-off villages. Houses
suffered damage with huge cracks; roofs were blown off or were flooded. Most
roads got massive gaps and some were washed away, disconnecting the routes to
nearby cities and towns. The locals complained that the Government failed to provide
them with any kind of relief. "We are homeless now. The Government has not
provided us with any help. We are managing things on our own." said Bhola
Nath, a resident of Almora. The officials said they are surveying the flood-hit
areas and all kinds of assistance are being given, even though the compensation
package amount has increased. "After monitoring the situation, the State Government
adopted immediate measures to provide relief. The compensation package given to
the families of those who died due to flood was increased from rupees 1,00,000
to rupees 2,50,000," said Prakash Pant, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Pilgrimage
Endowment, Parliamentary Affairs and Re-organisation, Uttarakhand. "Initially,
the compensation provided to the people who lost their house was rupees 35,000
but later it was increased to rupees 50,000. The compensation provided for
damaged livestock, broken houses and damaged farms were increased. We are
doing survey of the area and residential areas under threat will be resettled," he
added. The monsoon this year caused heavy floods in several parts of India like
Haryana, Punjab , Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, causing heavy devastation to
life and property.
In Jammu and Kashmir 's Rajouri district, rain has crippled normal life. At least 17
people have died, while hundreds of others have been rendered homeless.
Over 442 houses have been damaged beyond repair, while 1,785
houses have been partially ravaged by the rains. There are no food supplies available.
