DEHRADUN: The extent of the devastation wrought by the Dharali deluge tragedy in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, and the deep wounds it has inflicted on those who miraculously survived will stand clear following the relief efforts.
But for Bhupendra Panwar of Uttarkashi, the cruel reality of nature's fury is already stark: he remains stunned after watching his entire homestay, the culmination of a lifetime's effort, vanish beneath debris.
Four days after the disaster, the eyes of Bhupendra Panwar, a homestay owner who lost everything in an instant, remain moist. He recounts how he painstakingly saved every penny by driving a taxi in the mountains.
Just this April, he invested his life's savings to establish a two-story homestay, nestled amidst his apple orchards.
"I thought my dream had come true," he recalls, "who knew that in just four months, everything would be destroyed in a matter of a few seconds," he quips.
Bhupendra, who narrowly escaped death on the afternoon of August 5, describes the terrifying moments. "We were well aware of the strong currents of the Khirganga, but the horrific sight we witnessed this time is still beyond our imagination, even now," he said.
"On the afternoon of August 5, I was standing outside the hotel with other villagers, preparing to go to the fair. Suddenly, we heard shouts, "Run! Run!" and whistles from Mukhba village.
"Hearing this, five of us immediately ran towards Harsil," he continued.
"A car driver was speeding behind us to save his life. There was just a two or three-second difference; otherwise, we too would have also lost our lives to the deluge."
Bhupendra recounted, "I immediately rang up my wife and children and told them I was safe, but I had lost everything by then. My mobile phone network also went off."
Bhupendra also shared his immediate aftermath of his loss.
"Other villagers gave me food. My clothes were buried in the debris, so I had to ask others for a T-shirt and pyjamas to wear. It felt as if I had become a burden on the people of my village," he said emotionally.
"Meanwhile, my wife and children were also distressed in Uttarkashi. I walked until Mukhba, and from there, the administration rescued me by helicopter and took me to Uttarkashi."
He reiterated how his dream, built with years of hard-earned money, was to supposedly improve his family's financial situation.
The disaster, however, snatched everything away.
Panwar is left with only the haunting memories of a dream, now drowned!
