Himachal mayhem: Sifting through debris, hope wanes but flickers among kin of 33 missing persons

Shimla, Aug 3 (IANS) It is an uphill task in the calamity-hit mountains with a swollen rivulet as hope flickers for 33 missing flashflood victims, mostly of an extended family, on the third day after the monsoon mayhem in the interiors of upper Shimla in Himachal Pradesh.

Rescuers of the Indian Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in coordination with a state rescue team and the civil administration face an uphill task, sifting through the debris of boulders and muck, as hope wanes but still flickers among survivors for the 33 missing individuals.

With the death toll in monsoon mayhem in the state rising to six and 47 still missing, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu a day earlier visited the worst cloudburst-hit Samej village in Rampur tehsil of Shimla wherein 33 people, including eight schoolchildren, have been missing.

The Army on Saturday constructed a temporary footbridge across the Samej Khad to speed up flood relief operations and restoration works.

Multiple cloudbursts on early August 1 with the epicentre in the Shrikhand Mahadev region flooded three streams originating from the peak. The Samej rivulet, a seasonal tributary that merged into the Satlej river just seven km downstream from the disaster spot, resulted in the most significant disaster, washing away significant Samej village.

Simultaneously the flash flood in Malana rivulet led to the breaking of the Malana dam and the Khurpan rivulet caused severe flooding in Bagipul.

“On the midnight of July 31, a cloudburst caused devastating flood and landslides that destroyed our once beautiful village Samej. Scores of people were swept away, and many bodies will never be recovered,” said the village elder Brahmi Devi with tears rolling down and pointing towards huge boulders.

“It felt like the mountain began to tremble. Huge boulders started rolling down, sweeping people into the ‘khad’ (season rivulet) that was flowing violently like a swollen river,” she added.

Another survivor Jeet Ram said he saw one of his sisters-in-law being swept away. “I couldn’t see my other relatives as it was pitch dark. I climbed on a huge boulder that saved me from the avalanche of rocks coming from the top.”

Locals say when the Army reached Samej village it rescued the people stranded in their houses for hours. Only those settlements were saved from being wipeout which were located at higher elevations.

The disaster killed 17 members of an extended family who were stuck in their house when the flood hit. Only a few of them were able to survive.

Families, who have lost loved ones, have been waiting desperately to hear about the safe evacuation of their missing members, including eight schoolchildren.

The Army and the civil administration have delivered food supplies and basic needs to the affected residents as part of its emergency response.

Torrential rains, cloudbursts and flashfloods have become a regular feature in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh in recent years.

Last year’s southwest monsoon claimed over 400 lives across Himachal Pradesh with a cumulative loss of over Rs 10,000 crore following torrential rains that triggered landslides, flash floods and cloudbursts, leaving thousands of families homeless.

Scientists told IANS that the frequent floods and devastation in the Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are proof of the increasing climate risks to an already vulnerable and fragile ecosystem.

They attribute rising temperatures to the increased atmospheric evaporation and humidity levels for the sudden extreme rains.

The constant rise in land and sea temperatures has made the Himalayas vulnerable to torrential rains and these compound disasters.

Also, climate scientists say in recent years flashfloods have intensified as the mountains are getting older and they contribute to more silt and sand. The haphazard dumping of muck and debris along streams and rivers that disturbs their natural course often multiplies hazardous landslide chain reactions downstream.

Also, the debris from blasting and construction of hydropower projects and national highway projects is dumped on slopes, damaging the vegetation too.

Advocating sustainable development, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the state High Court have time and again rapped the state authorities over their lack of response to the growing unauthorized constructions across the state.

Locals blame the politicians for converting the picturesque towns into concrete jungles. But the local authorities are yet to wake up from slumber although most of the picnic spots in the Himalayan state fall in high seismic zones IV-V, suggesting severe seismic sensitivity.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at [email protected])