Army builds bridge over river to speed up evacuation, 650 rescued
Uttarkashi: Sniffer dogs picked through towering piles of rubble, drones scanned the area from above, and rescue teams waded through thick sludge in Dharali on Friday, four days after flash floods engulfed half the village and left many missing.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed that 650 people have been evacuated since Tuesday — 400 on Thursday and 250 on Friday. “The remaining people will also be taken to safety soon,” Dhami said, noting that operations are being conducted in challenging conditions.
Communication lines in the disaster-hit areas of Uttarkashi were restored on Friday after a three-day outage. “Internet connectivity has been restored. Continued from Page 1
Airtel services are now functioning in the affected area. This will speed up rescue operations,” Dhami told reporters after visiting Dharali.
While connectivity has returned, road access between Dharali, Harsil and Uttarkashi remains severely damaged, and electricity supply is disrupted. A generator has been transported to Uttarkashi to be airlifted to affected zones. “The situation is difficult, but we are trying to bring things back on track as quickly as possible,” Dhami said.
Work is underway to construct a bailey bridge over Lincha Gad near Gangnani to replace a collapsed structure. Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said the bridge should be operational within two days.
Authorities have confirmed four deaths, with two bodies recovered on Wednesday. The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) reported that 16 people — including nine Army personnel and seven civilians — are still missing.
Local residents from nearby Mukhba believe the actual number of missing individuals could be higher. They say many labourers from Bihar and Nepal, along with tourists staying in Dharali’s numerous hotels and guesthouses, were present when the disaster struck. Dharali, a key stopover for travellers to Gangotri, is lined with hotels, homestays, restaurants, and shops.
More than 800 personnel from the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and police are working on the ground. Search teams are using sniffer dogs and radar devices to locate survivors and recover bodies from debris mounds that, in some areas, reach heights of 50–60 feet.
The ITBP has been airlifting stranded people from Harsil, with some injured evacuees carried to helicopters on stretchers. The Army has also constructed a bridge over the Bhagirathi River to facilitate movement. “Today we have established a bridge over the Bhagirathi river, using which the injured and stranded tourists are being evacuated safely,” an Army official said.
To help residents and tourists reconnect with families, the Army activated its own communication systems, including satellite and radio relay links. Several evacuees managed brief calls to assure relatives of their safety. Lieutenant General D G Mishra said that rescue operations are ongoing in Gangotri. “With the aid of the civil administration, civil helicopters and the Indian Air Force, we have been able to pull out approximately 355 people from Harsil to Matli, south of Uttarkashi, from where the state government is sending them to Dehradun,” he stated.
“Our current priority is restoring road connectivity between Uttarkashi, Harsil, and Dharali. We are also working to restore mobile connectivity and electricity to the villages north of Harsil,” he added. Medical supplies have been moved into the region, and the Army is providing treatment to those affected.
Heavy equipment is being flown in by helicopter to clear debris in Dharali. Two Chinook helicopters, two Mi-17s of the Indian Air Force, and eight helicopters from the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority are assisting in evacuation and supply delivery. With several roads destroyed, air support has become the primary mode of transport for both people and essential goods, according to an NDRF official.
During his visit to Dharali, Dhami spoke with local residents and NDRF personnel. Earlier in the day, he held a meeting with senior officials from ITBP, NDRF, and the state police to assess the situation. He announced via Facebook that he has directed authorities to focus on restoring roads, communication, electricity, and food supplies. Dhami also pledged to donate one month’s salary to relief efforts and called on public representatives, officials, organisations, and citizens to contribute to ongoing operations.
