The disaster exposed how logging reshaped floodplains that are home to tens of millions of people. Sumatra is a major hub for palm oil, mining, timber and oil and gas.
Govt has been storing rations near temple where villagers who survived flash flood have set up camp. ‘If another flood comes here, we won’t be saved,’ says Dharali resident Suresh Panwar.
Situation will return to normal and supplies will start coming in once road opens, says Bhatwari SDM as rescue work continues in the region hit by flash floods.
Rescue & rehabilitation ops are still underway as several villagers remain missing since the 5 August flash floods. Local administration is supplying food & other essentials to residents.
If extremely heavy rainfall can cause such damage without a rare event like a cloudburst, it should leave the system working toward India’s disaster preparedness thinking.
At least 16 lives have been lost in flash flood that struck Dharali in Uttarkashi on 5 Aug. Independent analysis from 2023 hints that ‘hanging glaciers’ may have caused disaster.
Pilgrimages like the Char Dham Yatra have continued for centuries without turning into tourism. The extreme greed to extract commercial dividends from religion can be detrimental in the long run.
Constant stream of helicopters has been ferrying NDRF and SDRF personnel to flash flood-affected areas. By some estimates, more than 150 survivors have been rescued so far.
In tactical terms, the shirtless protest was worse than a self-goal. Suddenly, the fiascos of the AI Summit were forgotten, and the Youth Congress’s disruption became the issue.
IAF is fine with accepting the aircraft with 'must-haves', even if some other steps remain pending, which may take at least another year, it is learnt.
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