DEHRADUN: A week after a devastating cloudburst struck Dharali, a key stop on the Gangotri Dham route in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district on August 4, the government has officially released a grim list of 68 missing persons, effectively confirming the grim toll. Among those unaccounted for, 24 are residents of neighbouring Nepal.
Officials concede that the chances of these 68 individuals, technically termed 'missing,' being alive are virtually non-existent. The Uttarkashi Disaster Operations Centre's list reveals that the missing include 24 Nepalese labourers, 9 army personnel (including one JCO), 13 local residents from Dharali and surrounding areas, one person from Tehri, 13 from Bihar, and 6 from Uttar Pradesh.
Tragically, only two bodies have been recovered so far by rescue teams after the severe natural calamity. Despite the heart-wrenching loss, a massive, war-footing rescue operation has been underway.
Garhwal Commissioner confirmed that these efforts have successfully evacuated a remarkable 1,278 people to safety since the disaster struck.
Search for Life Continues Amidst Rubble
The search for any remaining signs of life continues amidst the widespread debris in the Dharali tragedy. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Army teams are working tirelessly, sifting through the remains of what were once bustling establishments.
With large hotels, guesthouses and homestays completely buried under the deluge and debris, the search for life signs is painstaking. Heavy machinery cannot be indiscriminately used where buildings once stood, as this could eliminate any slim chance of survival. To navigate this challenge, NDRF teams have deployed advanced technology.
After initial use of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), a specialised Rescue Radar was brought in on Monday. According to NDRF teams, GPR can detect objects up to 50 metres deep. Its use, which began on Sunday, has already identified 20 spots at depths of 2.5 to 3 metres, indicating the presence of buried buildings or structures.
Below 3 metres, light debris and then solid ground were found, raising faint hopes that bodies might be there, or miraculously, someone could still be alive.
"Since the soil here is marshy and sinking, we are working according to all possibilities," an official from the relief team stated. "Machines are not being used in areas showing signs of life. These marked spots are being excavated manually with hand tools."
To further strengthen the search, the Rescue Radar was deployed in Dharali on Monday. A technical officer from Erica Engineering, operating the equipment, explained that the Rescue Radar works on radio frequency. An expert from the rescue team added, "It operates at 500 MHz and can detect human presence up to 10 metres deep in the rubble. If someone's heartbeat remains, it will immediately send a signal. Besides, the Rescue Radar can detect any movement within the debris."
While deployed in various debris-laden areas on Monday, it had yielded no signals by evening. However, NDRF officials at Ground Zero affirmed the continued use of GPR and Rescue Radar until the entire debris-laden area is thoroughly surveyed and marked, underscoring the unwavering commitment to finding any trace of the missing.