DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand’s disaster management machinery remained on high alert on Tuesday after a powerful cloudburst triggered a destructive surge in the Tamak stream in Chamoli district’s remote Niti Valley, sweeping away a Border Roads Organisation employee.
The worker remained untraced despite a second day of intensive search operations. The torrent struck on Monday evening following torrential rain, leaving the area buried under huge deposits of debris.
Vehicles could be seen trapped in the sludge after the water level receded on Tuesday morning, revealing the scale of the devastation.
Teams from Chamoli Police, the State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force began combing the stream and surrounding debris around 6.30 am, officials said.
The reduced flow aided rescuers, but unstable terrain and the thick accumulation of rubble continued to hamper the operation.
“Large numbers of residents reached the site during the relief and rescue operation and are helping personnel with the search,” SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi told TNIE.
He said the joint teams had been working since early Tuesday, examining likely locations around the stream and digging through mounds of debris.
The difficult, mountainous terrain has forced rescuers to proceed cautiously. Residents are also assisting teams in searching nearby stretches for any sign of the missing man. Rain has continued across Chamoli since Monday, although its intensity eased on Tuesday.
Authorities warned that persistent showers in the hills could swell rivers and streams and trigger landslides.
The district administration and emergency agencies are maintaining round-the-clock surveillance, while search teams remain deployed at Tamak. Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said the India Meteorological Department had issued rain alerts for several districts.
Officials in Dehradun and areas bordering Himachal Pradesh have been directed to exercise particular caution because of the likelihood of heavy rainfall, while administrations elsewhere have been told to remain prepared for any emergency.
“In a hill state such as Uttarakhand, extremely heavy rain over a short period sharply increases the risk of damage,” Suman said.
“Although the weather department has not forecast any specific cloudburst event, all preparations are being kept in place to deal with sudden emergencies.”
The weather office has placed Dehradun, Nainital, Bageshwar and Champawat under an orange alert, indicating the possibility of severe weather requiring heightened preparedness.
A yellow alert has been issued for Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Pauri, Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar. Officials said the state control room was closely monitoring developments in the border district and maintaining contact with field agencies.
Teams have been instructed to respond immediately if rainfall causes fresh flooding, road blockages or slope failures in vulnerable pockets.
With no breakthrough by Tuesday evening, attention remained fixed on the rescue effort. Personnel continued probing debris along the stream, hoping to finally uncover a clue to the missing BRO employee’s whereabouts.
