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The land of Uttarakhand has once again come under the grip of a natural disaster. The cloudburst incident in Chamoli district has shaken the entire state. Four people have died in this tragic accident while many others are missing. The local administration, NDRF, SDRF and Army teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations on a war footing.
In this article, we will give you detailed information about every aspect of this horrific natural disaster, as well as try to understand why Uttarakhand is repeatedly falling prey to such disasters and how it can be controlled in the future.
What has happened in Uttarakhand?
At around 2 o'clock on the night of August 4, a cloudburst occurred amid heavy rains in Pipalkoti and surrounding villages located near Gairsain area of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. During this, many houses, huts and animals were washed away. The entire village turned into rubble in no time.
According to the locals, "There was a loud sound at night and everything was swept away. We did not even get a chance to understand anything."
The main affected villages of this cloudburst incident include Gwaldam, Dewal and Tharali. Road connectivity has been lost in these villages, due to which relief teams are facing a lot of difficulties in reaching the spot.
Confirmed deaths and missing people
So far four people have been confirmed dead, including two women and two men. Many villagers are still missing. More than 15 people are reported to be missing.
Teams of NDRF and State Disaster Management Department have so far rescued six people alive from the debris, who have been admitted to a nearby hospital.
Relief and rescue work on war footing
The Uttarakhand government called an emergency meeting soon after the incident and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed to keep a close watch on the situation. Teams of Army, NDRF, SDRF and ITBP are rapidly reaching the affected areas.
Relief materials like food, water, medicines, blankets etc. are being sent with the help of helicopters.
People are being shifted from villages to safer places. Due to heavy debris and broken roads, there are some difficulties in the rescue operation, but every possible effort is being made by the administration to ensure that no life is lost.
Warning of environmental imbalance
The frequent disasters in Uttarakhand show how dangerous human interference in hilly areas can be. Experts believe that activities like uncontrolled construction, felling of trees, digging of tunnels and changes in the natural flow of rivers are becoming a major cause of these disasters.
Changing weather patterns and global warming have also changed rainfall trends. Earlier, where monsoon used to come slowly, now sudden and heavy rains have become common – which is proving to be very dangerous for the mountains.
What do administrative preparations say?
There are plans for disaster management in Uttarakhand, but flaws are clearly visible in their implementation. Alert systems are not fully developed in rural areas.
Although the state government has claimed that “all affected families will get compensation and rehabilitation arrangements will be made.” But the experience of the past years shows that many times these promises remain unfulfilled.
The pain of the local people
People living in the affected villages are in panic and are worried about rebuilding their lives.
A villager said, “We have lost everything. Homes, fields, cattle – everything has been washed away. Now we have nothing left.”
Such disasters have the biggest impact on the poor and vulnerable sections who already live on limited resources.
The role of the media and public expectations
This incident is being covered heavily in the national and regional media, but now there is a need to pay attention to solutions along with reporting.
The public expects the government not to only talk about compensation and investigation, but to adopt permanent and strong measures so that such tragedies can be prevented in the future.
Why is Uttarakhand facing repeated disasters?
Uttarakhand is a geographically very sensitive area. It falls in the Himalayan region which is considered sensitive in terms of earthquakes, landslides and excessive rainfall.
But anthropogenic activities have further increased these dangers:
Indiscriminate construction of hydroelectric projects
Unplanned road widening
Digging of trains and tunnels
Excessive pressure on tourism
Unless all these are seriously controlled, places like Uttarakhand will continue to be victims of destruction again and again.
What are the challenges ahead for the government?
Completing rescue operations quickly
Finding and helping the missing people
Restoring roads, bridges and communication services
Providing rehabilitation to the affected people
Finding permanent solutions and improving disaster policy
How did this incident spread on social media?
Hashtags like #UttarakhandCloudburst, #ChamoliFlood, and #SaveUttarakhand are trending on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. People are appealing to the government for help regarding this tragedy.
Videos and pictures have shaken people's hearts, in which it is clearly seen how houses turned into rubble and people are screaming and trying to escape
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