UTTARAKHAND: More than 150 people were feared dead after a Himalayan glacier broke and crashed into an Indian dam in the Uttarakhand area on Sunday.
Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand state talking to the media said, “The actual number has not been confirmed yet,” but 100 to 150 people were feared dead.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was closely monitoring the situation. “India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone’s safety there,” he said on Twitter after speaking with the state chief minister.
Am constantly monitoring the unfortunate situation in Uttarakhand. India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone’s safety there. Have been continuously speaking to senior authorities and getting updates on NDRF deployment, rescue work and relief operations.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 7, 2021
India’s air force was being readied to help with rescue operations, the federal government said, while Home Minister Amit Shah said disaster-response teams were being airlifted in to help with relief and rescue.
“All the concerned officers are working on a war footing,” Shah said on Twitter, referring to Uttarakhand by its nickname, the Hindi term for “land of the gods” – due to the numerous Hindu temples and pilgrimage centers located across the state.
He said, “In this difficult time, the Modi government stands shoulder to shoulder with the people of Uttarakhand. Teams of NDRF, ITBP and SDRF have reached there, the Air Force has also been put on alert. It is our priority to minimize the loss of life and property in Devbhoomi and the situation there should be as normal as possible,” he added.
इस कठिन समय में मोदी सरकार उत्तराखंड की जनता के साथ कंधे से कंधा मिलाकर खड़ी है।
NDRF, ITBP और SDRF की टीमें वहां पहुंच गई हैं, वायुसेना को भी अलर्ट पर रखा गया है।
देवभूमि में जानमाल का नुकसान कम से कम हो और वहाँ की स्थिति यथाशीघ्र सामान्य हो यह हमारी प्राथमिकता है। pic.twitter.com/U74OHzHSWL
— Amit Shah (Modi Ka Parivar) (@AmitShah) February 7, 2021
The neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous, also put its riverside areas on high alert.
“The flow of the Alaknanda River beyond Nandprayag (stretch) has become normal,” Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said on Twitter. “The water level of the river is now 1 meter (3.28 feet) above normal but the flow is decreasing.”
Uttarakhand in the Himalayas is prone to flash floods and landslides. In June 2013, record rainfall caused devastating floods that claimed close to 6,000 lives.
That disaster was dubbed the “Himalayan tsunami” by the media due to the torrents of water unleashed in the mountainous area, which sent mud and rocks crashing down, burying homes, sweeping away buildings, roads and bridges.
Uma Bharti, India’s former water resources minister and a senior leader of Modi’s party, criticized the construction of a power project in the area.
“When I was a minister I had requested that Himalaya is a very sensitive place, so power projects should not be built on Ganga and its main tributaries,” she said on Twitter, referring to the main river that flows from the mountain.
Footage shared by locals showed the water washing away parts of the dam as well as whatever else was in its path.
#Breaking A massive sudden floods in Dhauliganga after a huge Himalayan glacier collapse in Reni village in Uttarakhand which destroyed many river bankside houses now. This is real #ClimateEmergency.
My thoughts & prayers with the people of Uttarakhand.????????pic.twitter.com/mMHjyODbq4
— Licypriya Kangujam (@LicypriyaK) February 7, 2021
