Dehradun (Uttarakhand)

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday night reviewed the ongoing rescue and relief operations in Tharali area of Chamoli district, where a disaster struck on the intervening night of August 22-23.

Speaking at the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) in Dehradun, Dhami said that he has directed officials to constitute a committee of experts and scientists from reputed agencies to study the pattern of recent disasters in Tharali, Saiji (Pauri) and Dharali.

The Chief Minister instructed Chamoli District Magistrate to immediately release Rs 5 lakh as assistance for damaged houses and Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased. He also stressed that arrangements must be made at the earliest to drain water from the temporary lake formed at Syanachatti.

Dhami told officials to ensure that the homeless in Tharali receive proper shelter without delay and that rehabilitation work begins swiftly.

"The affected should get relief material promptly, and all the necessary items should be given together," he said, adding that quality checks should be carried out on all supplies, including rations.

The Chief Minister asked the district administration to restore basic services such as electricity, drinking water, and road connectivity in the disaster-hit areas at the earliest.

Praising the Chamoli DM for reaching the spot quickly and organising relief effectively, CM Dhami said that relief and rescue similar coordination should be ensured in other disaster-affected regions. He also commended the SDRF and NDRF teams for their work in the rescue operations.

In view of the Orange alert issued in Uttarakhand for the next two days, CM Dhami instructed all the District Magistrates to remain on alert and keep disaster management material and equipment ready at sensitive places.

A cloudburst struck Tharali, located about 75 km southeast of Rudraprayag in Chamoli District on the intervening night of August 22-23 (approximately 1 AM to 2 AM).

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On Saturday night, the Chief Minister reached the SEOC in Dehradun to review the situation in Tharali as well as the artificial lake that has formed on the Yamuna at Syanachatti in Uttarkashi.