Chamoli disaster: Third day of rescue operation

The rescue operation at the NTPC power project at Tapovan is still continuing. The biggest challenge before the rescue team is to rescue over 35 people who are trapped deep inside the tunnel at Tapovan.

Dehradun: More than 54 hours have gone by after Sunday’s disaster in Chamoli, Uttarakhand. The rescue operation at the NTPC power project at Tapovan is still continuing. The focus is entirely on rescuing people trapped inside the tunnel. The rescue operation has been continuing since the last three days. A joint team of ITBP, SDRF, BRO, NDRF and army is engaged in removing the debris. The challenge before the rescue team is increasing as it goes deeper into the tunnel. The rescue team is exploring another route to enter the tunnel as the main entrance is blocked by debris. ETV Bharat team has also reached the mishap site to give round-the-clock update on the rescue operation.

The biggest challenge before the rescue team is how to rescue over 35 people trapped deep inside the tunnel at Tapovan which was under construction. The tunnel is blocked from both ends by thick slush and debris. The approach of up to 150 metres could be cleared in the last three days. The length of the tunnel is 2.5 km and that too has many turns. So, it is difficult to estimate to what extent has it been blocked by debris.

Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar said it is not possible to tell how much time it will take to clear the debris. Engineers have been told to make an alternative route to reach inside the tunnel. The machines are able to clear debris only at the speed of 5 to 10 metres per hour. From the 20 minutes that the floodwater from the glacier had gushed, it is estimated that the slush and debris would have reached halfway through the tunnel. If that would have been the case, those trapped inside the tunnel who would have gone to the other end might still be alive. The help of a remote sensing device is being taken in the rescue operation so as to find the location of the trapped persons who are still alive.

According to the latest information, five more bodies have been found from Joshimath’s Rishi Ganga Power project and its nearby area. With this, the death toll has reached 31 while 197 people are missing. Among the dead are two constables of Uttarakhand police. An additional team of NDRF from Gaziabad reached Joshimath by a special flight of the Indian Air Force helicopter.

Discharged from hospital

The Indo Tibet Border Police (ITBP) had rescued 12 persons on February 7, 2021 who were discharged from the Joshimath hospital making their family members emotional.

NDRF doing geographical mapping

NDRF is using special technology in the rescue operation. NDRF is using drone and helicopter to conduct a geo-surgical scan of the blocked tunnel to draw geographical mapping to find out the extent of debris and other information vital for carrying out the rescue operation. Moreover, with thermal screening and laser screening NDRF would also be able to know if the employees trapped inside the tunnel are alive.

CM met the injured

CM Trivendra Singh Rawat visited the Joshimath hospital to inquire about people wounded in the disaster. Earlier, he held a review meeting with the officials of BRO and army at Tapovan. He also did the aerial survey of the glacier of Chamoli district which caused the devastating floods.

Talking to ETV Bharat in an exclusive interview, the chief minister said the government of India has sent a team of scientists to find the reason behind the disaster. The chief minister said the mishap did not occur on account of the breaking of the glacier. There was heavy snowfall in an area of 14 square kilometres and the snow had got deposited on the hills. The water from the snow met the river causing flash floods. Scientists have been told to develop an early warning system.

Opposition reached Raini village

Former chief minister Harish Rawat along with state Congress president Pritam Singh arrived at Raini village and inquired with the villagers. The former chief minister said the situation in Raini and other villages here was very grave. Cracks have developed in houses and roads because of which people are extremely scared. The government should rehabilitate the villagers temporarily in Pipalkoti or Joshimath.

A large lake is coming up

Harish Rawat claimed that a large lake has been formed because of the confluence of Nanda Devi and other streams. There is a need to drain the lake. Rawat said he was extremely worried after watching some videos. He said there are many glaciers in Uttarakhand which are in a precarious condition and need to be watched closely.

Shah’s statement in parliament

Members of both the houses of the parliament passed condolence to the bereaved families of those killed in the natural calamity. Union home minister Amit Shah made a statement in both the houses. Shah said the 13.2 MW hydropower station was washed away in the flash floods. The 520 MW hydropower plant of NTPC at Tapovan was also badly damaged. 12 persons of NTPC plant were rescued from a tunnel so were 15 persons from the Rishi Ganga project. About 25 to 35 people are feared trapped inside another tunnel of the NTPC plant. A rescue operation on a war footing is on for them.

Shah said there was snowfall at the mouth of a glacier situated at 5,600-metre height and in an area of 14 square kilometres. This caused flash floods. However, there is now no danger to the downstream areas and the water level too was coming down fast. The central and state agencies are keeping a close watch on the situation.

Assistance to Uttarakhand

• According to union energy minister RK Singh, 93 workers of NTPC are missing and efforts are on to contact them. Work is on to develop an early warning system against an avalanche. The families of the deceased will be given Rs 20 lakh each.
• Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal has come forward to help the disaster affected people of Uttarakhand. He has announced to give Rs 11 crore from out of the chief minister’s relief fund. He has also promised all possible help to the Uttarakhand government.
• Uttarakhand governor Babyrani Mourya gave a donation of Rs 5 lakh to the state Red Cross and directed the Red Cross to increase the number of volunteers in the affected area.

Communication cut off with several villages

Because of the debris and slush that came with the flash flood, the BRO bridge which joins the Niti valley and other smaller bridges were washed away cutting off communication with about 13 villages. As an alternative, these villages have been given a ropeway using which the ITBP is supplying relief material to the villagers.