- 9 months ago
The top focus of this episode of 5ive Live is the massive cloudburst in Uttarakhand that claimed four lives.
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00:00Deadly cloudburst batters hillside hamlet.
00:22Uttarkashi village turned to rubble in seconds.
00:30Cloudburst unleashes chaos.
00:35Homes swept away.
00:37Many casualties feared.
00:42Army, NDRF and SDRF in non-stop rescue mission.
00:55Uttarakhand hit by killer landslide.
00:58That is our top focus on Five Live.
01:02A horrifying tragedy has unfolded in Uttarakhand.
01:08Specifically in Uttarkashi's Dharali village.
01:11It's a developing story and it's our top focus.
01:13We'll try and understand what exactly happened on the ground.
01:16I'm Pooja Shali.
01:17Let's begin on Five Live first with the latest developments that have come in from the Hill State.
01:22This cloud burst in Uttarkashi's Dharali village has caused widespread destruction across the village.
01:29The latest look at this.
01:31Absolutely horrifying.
01:32People can be seen running for safety.
01:35But by then, the sludge, the smoke, the water with the houses demolished and swept away take over.
01:44Local villagers and tourists as well believe to be residing in some of the possible hotel and homes.
02:13They can be seen running and scrambling for safety as the flood hits the region.
02:18Videos have captured the horror.
02:20Now, four people have confirmed lost their life according to authorities.
02:24But over 50 are missing.
02:26The numbers likely and expected to increase.
02:29While officials are monitoring the extent of the damage, senior officials including the Chief Secretary,
02:42Commissioner of Garhwal Division monitoring the situation, the state disaster operation.
02:46Look at that.
02:47That is what Dharali village was a day ago.
02:50Today, the sludge has flattened the area.
02:54Indian Armed Forces as always on the job mobilising 150 personnel at the site.
03:03Intensifying rescue operations.
03:05About 20 individuals have been evacuated and rescued.
03:08Search operations are underway.
03:10But that's not it.
03:17The update I can bring to you.
03:18There has been another cloud burst near the Sukhi top.
03:22No casualties though reported there.
03:24Look at that.
03:25This is a bird's eye view of the region.
03:28Nature's fury in full force.
03:30So Sukhi top is one.
03:32And from there, it was the Harsal village.
03:34Which has swept away hundreds of houses.
03:37It's a bird's eye view of the region.
03:39Nature's fury in full force.
03:42So Sukhi top is one.
03:44And from there, it was the Harsal village.
03:46Which has swept away hundreds of houses.
03:49So ladies and gentlemen, the next one hour we are going to focus on Uttarakhand.
03:59There's no bigger story than this right now.
04:02Primarily because it directly concerns public on the ground.
04:05Nature's fury.
04:06And possibly the issue of construction as well in our hill states.
04:10Uttarakhand is currently battling aftermath of a killer flash flood.
04:14That was triggered by a cloud burst.
04:16The images are scary.
04:18I want to send out a trigger warning.
04:21And use your discretion while watching these visuals.
04:24Because as columns of water, mud, slit and gravel swallow an entire village after the cloud burst.
04:30Look at that.
04:31Look at that visual on your screen.
04:32Terrible.
04:33You can see.
04:34We do not know if they are local villagers or they were tourists possibly residing in some of these homestays or hotels.
04:40They are running for cover.
04:42There is a shepherd whistle you can hear in the background.
04:45You can hear people shouting who are at perhaps safer areas.
04:48They continue to shout.
04:49But within seconds, all of it, multiple buildings tumbling like a pack of cards.
04:55Authorities say four people confirmed dead.
04:5850 are missing.
04:59But looking at these visuals, frankly, it does appear the toll could increase.
05:04The cloud burst was reported.
05:05This is the Dharali village near Harsal.
05:08I want to immediately go across on the ground.
05:10Right near the Dharali village is Siddharth Singh.
05:14And he is bringing us exactly what is happening.
05:17If you are listening to the Dharali village,
05:20Is it still raining?
05:21And you tell us exactly what happened.
05:24How far are you from that location?
05:26This is an unfortunate destination and it goes in the last couple of weeks.
05:31The city of Nyarath Singh is very sensitive to this village.
05:33The city of Nyarath Singh is almost 10
05:34miles from here near Genguti.
05:36The city of Nyara is not an audience.
05:38The city of Nyarath Singh appears.
05:40The city of Nyarath Singh is in the last few minutes.
05:41It is a tourist in the way to the future.
05:42The city is in the last three weeks.
05:44The city of Nyarath Singh reached avoirs.
05:46What happened at that time, what happened at that time?
06:03What happened at that time?
06:06How much water came from here?
06:08Are there more hotels or houses?
06:11This is being a village in Bajar Granguti.
06:17The village is on the back of it.
06:20There are hotels, hotels and shops.
06:23I found that the village is on the right of it.
06:28The village is on the right of it.
06:31The village has been on the right of it.
06:35PCH पारिणान वेव जलाशाय
06:49सुनने को मिला है इस तरह से कभी पानी आया हूँ या पहली बार हुआ ईस पर से हमंने
06:56Siddhartha, you are being made with me.
07:07Yes, yes.
07:09The visuals are very shocking.
07:12Let me explain what our viewers are seeing now.
07:16Were there more houses in the city?
07:18Or were there homes and hotels?
07:20Were there before going to Gungotri?
07:23Tell us about this area.
07:26Yes, ma'am.
07:28This is the Dharali Bajar.
07:30This is a small village.
07:34There are 50-60 hotels.
07:36Homestays, campsets, etc.
07:39These hotels are going to go here.
07:45They are going to Gungotri.
07:49Siddhartha, was there not been any update
07:53that this situation is bad.
07:55The weather is bad.
07:57Was there any update?
07:59Or people didn't know them?
08:03No, ma'am.
08:05This is not a problem.
08:07We all get a risk.
08:09We all get good at home.
08:10They are not back on us.
08:11They don't have any alert or everything.
08:13They do not get rid of them.
08:15It is a disaster.
08:17I want you to understand,
08:20and tell me, now you are saying that 4 people have been aware of it.
08:2550 people are missing.
08:27Do you think that the toll, the number,
08:30can be more than the situation?
08:35Yes.
08:43Yes.
08:45Siddharth, I can understand that there will be a lot of network now.
08:48There is also a storm.
08:50And the situation is happening.
08:52Do you see the situation in the Niantran?
08:56Do you see the rescue forces?
08:58Do you see the visuals?
08:59Do you see the rescue there?
09:01Do you see the administration and the government?
09:04Do you see anyone there?
09:10Siddharth, you are being with me.
09:12We will go back to him in just a short while.
09:14Remember, it's not easy right now to be able to have a live telecast as well
09:17with someone on the ground.
09:18And we've been able to at least bring a communication for our viewer
09:22because that is to help understand exactly what someone on the ground is presently facing.
09:27Just look at that visual.
09:28You can see, can you see in the bottom of your screens,
09:30there are people rushing for cover by then.
09:33These are buildings made of cement,
09:35but it trumbles like a pack of cards and with the water gushing,
09:39takes them all away toward, of course, the situation as we can see,
09:45only turning worse, swept away within seconds.
09:49We're of course hopeful and praying that more and more people are rescued,
09:53that all of them are safe, but the situation looks worrisome.
09:57This is the latest on your screen. Look at the sludge.
10:00The mud, the gravel that has now flattened what was once a village.
10:05A village thriving where there were, of course, local residents,
10:09but there were also homestays, camps.
10:11This is en route, whether it's Gangotri or it's the belt.
10:14Remember, it's a tourist zone as much.
10:16The whole state is.
10:17It's the Dev Bhoomi, as we call Uttarakhand.
10:20So these are some of the constructions that have taken place.
10:23But look how these buildings have been swept away and have fallen.
10:27We are told that the situation is turning grave.
10:31Look at these visuals.
10:32And I again want to give a discretion warning.
10:34You can see motorcycles, cars that have been covered underneath.
10:40The slush.
10:42There are some people.
10:44Look at that.
10:45I can see a man also trying to run for cover.
10:48Look at that visual.
10:49One man, possibly more, are trying to come out of safety.
10:54What are they surrounded with?
10:56Mud, sludge, complete wet sand there.
11:01So it would be very difficult.
11:03And I am praying, I am hopeful that they have been rescued.
11:06There are people you can hear in the background,
11:09perhaps are on a higher pasture.
11:11They are shouting.
11:12There's a shepherd's whistle as well that is being blown.
11:15That's more like an alert.
11:16So especially the locals understand that whistle sound,
11:19which is an alarm whistle.
11:21This, remember ladies and gentlemen, shows the kind of impact and effect nature's fury can have.
11:28Whole villages flattened.
11:30And because I have reported earlier as well from Uttarakhan's landslide situation,
11:34I can tell you that nature's fury can turn so worse that once thriving villages look like flat ground.
11:41Families wiped away within seconds.
11:44We are hopeful and praying for survivors on the ground.
11:50It must be a traumatic moment for those on the ground as well.
11:57And we hope and pray that they have been rescued.
11:59Because it's not just about your own life.
12:02These are families also who have been swept away.
12:04From Dehradun, my colleague Ankit is joining me as well because Ankit is tracking the update.
12:09Ankit, inform what exactly happened at what time.
12:13And were there no alerts earlier?
12:15It's terrible, terrible to think that these people couldn't be evacuated in time.
12:20And looks like the death toll could increase.
12:27Yes, absolutely.
12:29Two incidents of deluge, we can say, happened.
12:33One is at 150, which totally devastated the Dharali area and the Dharali market.
12:41And the other side of the mountain caused massive deluge in Harshal area.
12:47And due to that, a huge lake has been formed.
12:52We can say it's an artificial lake that has been formed after the cloudburst incident happened.
12:57The other side's visual is also being played on India today.
13:00First on Aasthak and India today.
13:02And then the Dharali incident is very horrifying.
13:07You can see the visuals.
13:08People are trying to rescue themselves.
13:11Somehow they are gasping for breath and they are struggling to get out of the muck.
13:16Get out of the muck, which is quite big.
13:21And the depth of the muck, we can ascertain that at such a high altitude when the deluge happened,
13:28the people over there are buried under the rescue forces, specifically the Indian Army, IBEX Brigade,
13:35and along with ITBP personnel, SDRF and NDRF are working towards rescuing the people who are buried under.
13:44And we can see the horrifying visual how people were also trying to escape death by trying to struggle and reach the nearest relief possible area.
13:54And these visuals are causing just jaw dropping movement to anyone who is watching it on the TV or on their phones.
14:03And you can see that the whole area has been submerged by the muck and the rubble which came from the mountain after the cloudburst struck the area at 1.50 PM today.
14:15Back to you.
14:16Tell me also this, Ankit, what is the government saying?
14:21The chief minister, other ministers, MLA and MPs of the region, what are they doing to ensure more and more people are rescued and in time?
14:29Well, this is a remote area and it connects the Gangotri Dham, it's NH108 from Uttarakati which connects to Gangotri Dham and that has been cut off as well after the cloudburst incident happened and after this flash flood which has completely devastated the whole area,
14:53it's completely collapsed and everything has been buried under.
14:56The chief minister has said that they are trying to ascertain the situation and strategise the whole rescue operation.
15:04CM was outside Uttarakhand, he was on his trip to southern India and he has cancelled the trip and he is reaching the disaster management control centre as soon as possible.
15:16Wherein the other officials, the MPs have taken the cognizance of this incident as soon as it happened.
15:25But the question remains is that there have been many incidents of cloudburst in the past as well and there are commercial structures, massive structures which have been erected near the...
15:37That's the big question.
15:38Yes.
15:39Because...
15:40We have seen that there are massive structures being built up.
15:43No, that's the point, that nature's fury perhaps we cannot help much with but have we gone wrong somewhere with the construction part,
15:51especially Nuttarakhand, Himachal and our hill stations.
15:54Stay on with me, Ankit please, because I want to also go across to Ashutosh Mishra, he's en route right now to the location.
16:01And remember there, even before the main location there are multiple barriers that come in, landslides that have taken place.
16:07Ashutosh, it's absolutely disturbing to look at these visuals.
16:11What are you picking up from on the ground?
16:13What exactly has happened?
16:14What is being done to at least rescue and save as many as possible?
16:18Well, Pooja, these areas have often been declared orange alert, red alert on and off.
16:27These days we have seen from the med department for a heavy rainfall.
16:30But clearly, as far as early warning setup is concerned, very hardly we get to know about some possibility of the cloudburst if that happens.
16:38However, the med department also has been successfully predicting that there could be a possibility of such.
16:44And this year we have seen the devastating images in Himachal Pradesh, largely the mandi has been epicenter.
16:49Also from Uttarakhand, almost throughout this pilgrimage route we have seen landslides.
16:56But this was, this totally reminds you exactly of 2013 Kedarnath tragedy.
17:01Similarly, when the information came out immediately, it was first about the cloudburst.
17:06When over the minutes and over the hours we could get the information, I mean I could recall 12 years happened what exactly had happened.
17:13When we recalled about these, the devastating images outside and kind of people that they have recorded these videos.
17:20That this is not just only in Dharali, but there is reportedly another cloudburst in Sukhi top.
17:24And all these area, if you see on the mountain hill top where you have the altitude of 7,000 to 8,000.
17:29Now Dharali remember one of the busiest and the biggest town as far as Gangotri pilgrimage is concerned.
17:34Chardham Yatra is concerned mostly people because you have the commercial establishment, you have the shops, restaurants, hotels, dharam shalas.
17:40So you have the huge number of the pilgrimages because the Chardham Yatra is also underway.
17:44So it could be devotees, it could be also the locals and the dense population localities in Dharali.
17:49And kind of visuals that we are seeing that we came along with the gravity and the velocity force of that water.
17:56It literally washed away everything and just in a faction of 12 to 13 seconds we are seeing literally a plain terrain.
18:02Now as you heard Ankit saying that there is a lake has been formed.
18:05People around Bhagirathi has been warned and asked to go in a safer area, safer sites.
18:10As we speak SDRF, NDRF, Indian Army, ITBP, all these multiple agencies have reached for the rescue.
18:17And search operation, of course search operation will be a priority first to find out maximum number of those who would be possibly alive in this case.
18:24Yes, clearly at the moment the number is not too huge but looking at the magnitude of this and the scale of the devastation, clearly even the government and the authorities must be very concerned.
18:37So all the efforts are at the moment is to evacuate at least the people, those who are in the affected areas to the safer side and also ensure to find out maximum number of people who could be possibly alive.
18:49Stay on with me because I know that Prime Minister, Home Minister have also given out their statements and we will go to that in just a short while.
18:55But I want the viewer to just look at these images, how the homes have been swallowed.
19:01These could be of course resort camps, hotels, homestays as well.
19:06This happened in the afternoon, this cloudburst triggered a flash flood, this is Dharali village and immediately as you can see the kind of wave of flash flood that hits the area and leaves behind this massive sludge.
19:21We are not yet sure about how many people could have been trapped but our information suggests that there are people who are missing.
19:29Home Minister has directed the ITBP and the NDRF to rush teams as well and these visuals show not only how the homes have been swept away but how shops and roads as much have been swallowed.
19:41Prayers for the rescue operations that are currently on, they have been rushed from Harsil and Bhattwari efforts are on to locate, evacuate those who have been trapped as well.
19:52Our reporters are on the ground, this is the latest visual on your screen, this is the aftermath.
19:58Anyone who can try to even get up and leave and come to safety.
20:03I want to immediately go across to Suyesha Sawant, my colleague to help us understand the latest visuals that have come in.
20:10Yes, Suyesha, please go ahead.
20:12Yes, absolutely Pooja, this is the latest clip that India Today has just accessed and there you see how this man is struggling to be able to get out.
20:19Of course, one of the very, very few, lucky few who has been able to come out of it.
20:26He is safe but what a struggle it is because the muck is obviously very, very loose.
20:33This is very, very loose mud and to be able to run through it, to be able to come out of it is a task within itself.
20:40Obviously, to imagine the kind of impact that he had to go through when he must have had the entire current just come on to him.
20:52And here you see how he is trying to get off, to take every step to be able to come out of this muck, this mud.
21:00In fact, here you see how he will take the support of this tree.
21:03But obviously nothing is stable right now because it's all in that impact of that current and how all of this is just washed away.
21:11The village, the property, the loss of life, like it's all just washed away in a few seconds that we saw.
21:18And now here you see how he is managing to come out.
21:22So, he manages to come out to this particular side but a lot of loss of property.
21:28And again, we continue to discuss these various factors of what has caused this imbalance in nature of the massive development that has been happening in the mountains.
21:40Ecologically very, very sensitive that these areas are.
21:44Again, when we are talking about Dharali, the number of homestays, the number of tourist spots that are here for the reason that that is also the particular stretch that leads to Gangotri.
21:54So, in terms of how populated it was of the villagers who were residing here, of the tourists who were here residing in these particular homestays, all of that has been washed away.
22:05Of course, the official number still is that four people have lost their lives in more than 50 hours missing.
22:10But the number could be much, much higher, Pooja, for the very reason that the pictures themselves suggest the impact of destruction, loss of life, property that has been damaged.
22:22And all of this, as we understand that rescue operations are underway, NDRF, ITBP, Army personnel who are all on the spot trying to remove as many as possible.
22:32But here you see, see the struggle of this man.
22:34See how he is trying to literally stand on his feet, which is obviously not possible given how he himself is trying to get out of it and what he must have faced before these moments.
22:44Before these moments, but one of the very lucky few, I'd say, you know, who's even alive and he's coming out of it.
22:54I mean, the plight of those who are probably washed away, who are still under the debris and the families who are trying to reach out to their loved ones to know who survived, who's not.
23:06Very tough situation as we continue to get you minute to minute updates of all that is coming in.
23:11We have the helpline numbers that have also been put out.
23:13Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who's monitoring every step of the rescue operations that are underway.
23:20The centre is watching very closely.
23:22We've put out messages from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Hamid Shah, who's spoken to Pushkar Singh Dhami to find out what is happening.
23:29While all possible help is being extended.
23:31But yes, for those that it is a struggle on the ground, the few who've managed, who are alive, but the many, many who may have lost their lives in these two cloudbursts.
23:46The river levels have risen further in Sookhi and Harsil as well, where these incidents have taken place.
23:52The rescue operations are on, ITBP, NDRF, all these teams are already on the job and the different teams have been dispatched already.
24:02They are fully equipped, conducting search and rescue ops.
24:05Suyesha, thank you very much.
24:06Just look at that visual.
24:07One, how people are running for cover, but within seconds they are swallowed by the fury of the flood water.
24:14And the aftermath.
24:15This is in Dharali.
24:17The loose mud.
24:18The muck.
24:19At least there appears to be a couple of survivors who we can see are trying to rush to safety.
24:26It wouldn't be easy at all.
24:27I want to immediately bring in and try and get in some expert views on that.
24:31Joining me, Associate Director of the Action Aid Association, Khalid Chaudhary.
24:36Professor MP S. Bisht is also joining me.
24:38He's the HOD Geology Department, H&BGU Srinagar.
24:41First to you, Mr Khalid Chaudhary, what do you think is the immediate help, requirement, assistance at this juncture that can be provided to the survivors, those who can be rescued?
24:57How is time really of essence here?
25:00Yeah, basically the immediate support is required to rescue them because many of the families and individuals and people are basically stuck.
25:12They need to rescue them immediately so that more and more lives can be saved.
25:17So that is at most important rescue of all the individuals who have been washed away and who have been stuck in this disaster.
25:26Okay, so clearly it's the rescue that should be of prime importance right now as the teams are already on the job.
25:32Please stay on with me.
25:33Professor Bisht, and if I'm correct, you would hail from the, I think you hail from the state of Uttarakhand as well.
25:39Just tell me about what is the reason that such an incident not only happens, has been happening in Uttarakhand and specifically the impact that we see.
25:51Do you think this impact as much is because of the construction that has happened in the Hill State?
25:57Yes, you are right that we have seen lot many such situations in our Uttarakhand.
26:05Whenever we found such instances in the, either in the Alagnanda, Bhaagirati or any short of the river, those are coming out from the Himalayan terrain.
26:15You see, the river has got its own course, it has its own path.
26:22But what happened, unfortunately, we tried to stack that path by making our buildings, by making our structures and then becomes the hazardous to us.
26:34So, this is one of the problems generally we saw. Otherwise, this happened, this phenomenon is a, it's a normal phenomenon in the Himalayan terrain, right from the origin of the Himalaya.
26:45These all incidences continuously happen. But unfortunately, this disastrous activity, because of the people intercept these things while making their buildings and all, you know.
26:59And most of these knowledge, the front of the knowledge, like this one, where we are seeing today, this activity, we have a number of times, you know, myself also explained, asked them to why people are making these things in such a dangerous situation.
27:16I saw in 2010, 2013, some same thing happen in this valley itself. Right?
27:25Also help me understand this. So, construction, I realize, because that's an issue a lot of activists have raised. But what do you think is the incident that happened?
27:35Possibly is the reason that can it, and please pardon my ignorance in this if it comes in, is there no alert? Is there no alarm that can come in that the situation is worsening, weather is worsening?
27:48I would have liked to see these people evacuated in time. That hasn't happened. Do you think that can happen? We need to heighten our level of equipment and more to be able to save lives?
27:58No, actually, this phenomenon, which we call a heavy precipitation, or the, in the people like your, see, media, they call it a cloud burst. It is a sudden activity. It's not a, see, we cannot predict it, number one.
28:17Number two, yes, we can suggest the people, the policies should be like that, the government policies should be like that, the encroachment between alaj or the channels or the roadsides, they should be avoided. They should be avoided. There must be some, there must be some.
28:34Okay, so, important points that are being made, I request both you gentlemen to please continue to stay with me. Now, why the focus, you must have heard by now, is Uttarkashi. Not the first time, possibly not the last time as well.
28:49I want to tell you more about specifically this part of the hill state of Uttarakhand. It's a fragile Himalayan geology already. There's a reason that the ecology aspect of it has been consistently mentioned that it's already a fragile one to begin with.
29:04This is also a high seismic zone. This is zone 5 that it comes under. There are floods, riverbank erosion already happening on the hill slopes, hill slopes that usually trigger a landslide as well. So, there is nature's fury. There is mother nature, but are we adding on to it because of some decisions on the ground? Because there's deforestation, unplanned construction, especially in Uttarakhand over the past few decades, that have weakened the natural
29:34slopes and our mountains. And of course, there is an aspect of climate change. It's undeniable now that it drives the glacier to melt, causing more flooding and the landslides downstream, affecting not just the local residents, but in places like Uttarakhand, even devotees, tourists and sometimes villages wiped off.
29:56I want to bring in Khalid Chaudhary as well as Associate Director, Action Aid Association. Khalid, you helped me understand here that at this juncture,
30:03the kind of incident, the kind of incident we have seen, we have seen it earlier in Uttarakhand or Himachal or other hill areas as well, even Vainad for an example. And yet we again have to report on it. How do you think there needs to be a strategy to ensure that there may be mother nature getting angry, but at least on the ground we can take better decisions?
30:24Yeah, basically, Himalaya region is very eco-sensitive region. And due to climate change, frequency of these kind of incidents of extreme weather event is increasing.
30:39We can see the similar kind of event in Uttarakhand. We can see a similar kind of event happening in Himachal Pradesh as well, even Jammu and Kashmir.
30:47So we can see a pattern of these kind of events happening across the Himalayan region.
30:53So we have to basically be very sensitive to address these issues and we have to build the resilience of the community.
31:02We have to basically activate our alert system because as far as our information is concerned, because today there was no alert.
31:11So it actually happened suddenly. That is why we are seeing so much damage or so much loss of life.
31:21These kind of events are happening regularly in these regions. So we have to be very careful while addressing these issues.
31:30We have to build the resilience of the community. We have to be very careful to address these issues.
31:36Important point. There has to be a collective effort here from the government to the local individual on the ground, because eventually, let's be honest, it's not as much our VVIPs, but innocent people, usually villagers and more, who suffer the worst when it comes to these incidents.
31:51Professor Bisht continues to be with us. Professor Bisht, can you give us an understanding of a timeline from, let's say, when the cloudburst happens?
31:59And that is usually in the higher reaches. By the time it comes downstream, becomes a flood water and then the sludge. Are we talking about seconds, minutes, hours?
32:12Actually, as and when you see the rains starts, so there is one critical limit.
32:23When it exceeds of the rainfalls, excess rainfalls, they start falling in the higher altitude or the clouds are accumulated at a certain point and then they start falling.
32:37But the important thing is where it falls.
32:41If it falls, if it falls in the area where we have already the sediments high, as you know, in this area, we have a glaciated region and then we have a moraines over there, all these moraines are loose and unconsolidated.
32:57Once the heavy precipitation takes place over there, then suddenly this mass will get down, number one.
33:04Number two, if we know, if we know the area, if we have, see, in our geology, we generally call the geomorphology, we call it a face is the index of heart, you know.
33:14Once you know the area, you know the terrain characteristics, you have to identify first of all and then say to public that this area is, see, or the area should be remarked that this is a danger and we should avoid this area.
33:29But unfortunately, this has not happened. So, there must be some planning on this, that one should be the, second thing is the carrying capacity of the slope, where the people are residing in this, most of the slopes, they are, they are, you know, they have some critical angle.
33:49When they, this critical angle is cut.
33:52What do you mean by that, sir? Sir, what do you mean by that? What is a critical angle?
33:55See, critical angle, we call it an angle of repose, you know. The slope is known as the angle, at the angle of the 35 or 36 degree angle, if it is more than that, and the load increase, then mass will suddenly get down with the gravity as well as accelerated by such rainfalls.
34:14This all has to be considered when there are constructions happening.
34:20Yes, yes, yes.
34:21These are important points and I'm glad you're helping us understand with the technical terms as much.
34:26Please stay on with me because Ankit Sharma, my colleague also is joining me.
34:30It's so heartbreaking. Just look at these visuals.
34:32You can see clearly the aftermath.
34:35One, of course, is the rush that happened in seconds.
34:37But after this incident, it's heartbreaking to see.
34:41I don't even know and wouldn't like to take a guess how many of them possibly survived rushing.
34:46They could be devotees, villagers or the owners of these hotels.
34:50And then the aftermath after this visual is of these buildings that are buried under the sludge, swallowed by these floodwaters.
35:01We do not know and we wouldn't hazard a guess about how many possibly would be trapped.
35:07We leave it to the authorities to give us an estimate on that.
35:10Ankit, what is the current situation right now?
35:13What are you hearing about rescue ops?
35:15Because time is of essence here.
35:16Yes, absolutely, because it's almost 5.30 in the evening and pre-dust hours is going to be very tough because the visibility is going to be lower than expected because of the harsh weather conditions.
35:36Now, because it's still raining in the region and because of the calamity, as our senior geologist was discussing with Inger today, that the muck and the rebel has caused a tremendous hit to the whole geographical area.
35:54And it is going to create haphazard for a tough time for the rescue forces as well.
36:00However, the rescue teams are there on ground zero and they have resumed their rescue operations.
36:09They are using geothermal imaging system to track the people.
36:15And as soon as this will start working, we hope that many lives will be saved.
36:21And we are praying that as many as lives are saved, it will be good for the state as well.
36:28However, the recent number has not been revealed by the Uttarkashi district administration.
36:35It's still four deaths confirmed and they are fearing many as missing.
36:41And there's another artificial lake being formed in the Herschel area.
36:45Sirens have been blown to evacuate the houses which are built near the Bhavgidrati region in Uttarkashi.
36:52So it is going to be the very toughest time.
36:55And I want to just inform our viewer, the helpline numbers are on the bottom of our screens.
37:00You can call on these numbers to get assistance because if there are, for example, not just the villagers and locals,
37:06but devotees, tourists as well, their families would start looking for them.
37:10And this is usually considered a stopover a while before you're heading to other areas.
37:15Because it's after all the dev bhoomi, every location in Uttarakhand is either about a temple,
37:22a religious place that devotees visit from across the country.
37:26Listen in now.
37:27This is the Brigade Commander speaking to India today, Brigadier Mandip Dhillon,
37:32helping with the rescue operations.
37:34First reaction on India today.
37:35Today, at about 13.45 hours, a mudslide and a cloudburst hit Dharali village,
37:46which is around 4 kilometers north of Herschel on the Gangotri axis.
37:53Indian Army column located at Herschel post was the first to respond
37:58and reached the village within 10 minutes and commenced rescue operations.
38:04The column has about 150 personnel with specialized medical equipment, rescue equipment and doctors
38:12and are engaged in rescuing the villagers.
38:17Till now, around 20 villagers have been rescued and moved to safety
38:22and those injured are being treated.
38:24Subsequently, another mudslide and cloudburst hit the army camp in Herschel.
38:33Despite the same, Indian Army is steadfast in its resolve
38:38to assist the local populace and are carrying out rescue operations.
38:45So remember, whether it is the 2021 Rishiganga Glacier burst
38:50or 2013 Kedarnath floods,
38:53these could be those that we remember,
38:56but I can tell you, every year, isn't it,
38:58we hear of landslides,
38:59we hear of similar issues and incidents that have happened,
39:02even if of not that level of gravity,
39:05but landslides constantly taking place.
39:07Is it just about, as I ask,
39:09nature's fury or perhaps some decisions on the ground,
39:13especially with regard to cutting mountains,
39:15to construction,
39:16that also need to be taken in cognizance by the administration.
39:20More and more reactions are coming in.
39:21Ankit Sharma continues to be with us.
39:23Ankit, tell me about what all teams have been deployed
39:28and as the Prime Minister, Home Minister,
39:30Amit Shah has also spoken to the Chief Minister.
39:33What is the level of rescue operation that we are looking at?
39:37Because for me, frankly, right now,
39:38that's of most important because they have to reach there
39:41even if by sunset and through the night,
39:43those operations, I'm sure, will continue.
39:45Well, absolutely, yes.
39:49And this is going to be a major operation
39:52like we saw during the Silk Yara Tunnel operation
39:55two years ago.
39:57And this is going to be another country's
40:00one of the biggest operations this year,
40:03which will include Indian Army,
40:05BRO, Border Road Organization,
40:08ITBP, SDRF, NDRF.
40:10And there would be other agencies
40:12which will help locally.
40:14And because of the geographical situation,
40:16there are a few technical people
40:19to be on the ground zero
40:21along with the Indian Army
40:23leading the whole operation.
40:25Now, the question is
40:26that how they are going to start?
40:28The Indian Army has started the operations
40:31and they are strategically moving towards the...
40:34Stay on with me, Ankit.
40:36Stay on with me.
40:37I'm joined on the phone line right now,
40:39Disaster Management Secretary,
40:40Vinod Kumar Suman.
40:41He's from the Uttarakhand government.
40:43Mr. Vinod Kumar Suman,
40:45please tell me what is the latest
40:46that you can inform to us
40:48about the rescue operations,
40:50what is being done to save lives on the ground
40:52and what exactly happened
40:53according to your information?
40:56You can see that the weather
40:58was bad and there was a lot of rain.
41:01The weather was bad and there was rain.
41:04There were no rain.
41:05There have been a rain.
41:07The army's left in the Harsid
41:08which is working in the Army,
41:09is trying to keep working.
41:12Our government is building lives
41:14and it is trying to keep the people of living.
41:15The people of the nation,
41:15the people of the country
41:17are trying to keep working.
41:20The people who are out of the country
41:21are trying to keep working.
41:24We are trying to keep working.
41:25The team members are going
41:27with the people of our community.
41:28The DMST is going on in the road.
41:30There are some problems.
41:32The road is closed.
41:34But the road begins when we are going to reach the road.
41:37We find some more places.
41:39To tell these towns,
41:41if there are more houses, hotels, home-stages,
41:47what kind of insurance is going to be made?
41:49Because we are seeing the visuals,
41:51we feel that we have a little fallen in the area.
41:53So, this will be very difficult to remove people?
41:55Our people have a ordinary.
41:57If there is a filter in the water,
41:59We have equipment for diving.
42:02There is a little difficulty coming.
42:04We are going to open the road where we are closed.
42:08Our helicopters are also ready.
42:11We have requested that we have a helicopter.
42:14Our local helicopters are also ready.
42:17We are not able to go by air.
42:21We are not able to reach the road by road.
42:24But we are leaving.
42:26We are in trouble.
42:29We will do everything.
42:31We are working on the train.
42:34We are in trouble.
42:36We are in trouble.
42:38We have to take care of those people.
42:40We will be able to take care of those people.
42:43Sir, do you assure that the operation will be going?
42:47Because the operation is saying that the 4 people have died.
42:51But there are so many missing.
42:53Do you have any estimate of that?
42:55The estimate is very difficult.
42:57Because people are running around.
42:58People are running around.
42:59People are running around.
43:01People are running around.
43:02There are so many missing people.
43:04After that, we will know what will happen.
43:07We were able to find 4 people.
43:09But we are not able to verify that.
43:11One time, let us understand.
43:13Let us understand.
43:14We will be able to search the whole area.
43:16One last question, sir.
43:17How many teams have been in disaster management?
43:18How many teams have been dispatched from the Uttarakhand government?
43:23How many teams have been dispatched?
43:24How many teams have been that?
43:26NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, local police, local pressure.
43:31And the DMST支wayam is going on the places.
43:34People are working on the streets.
43:35People are working on the roads.
43:36And the people are working on the roads.
43:38And the people are working on the roads.
43:39The people are working on the roads.
43:40The people are working on the roads.
43:41I understand that, remember, the officials as much would be busy right now so we are taking information that is significant and not more but look at these visuals.
43:51This is a devastation that we haven't seen in the past few years even though there have been landslides.
43:57Just see the rush. You can see the river flowing and we'll go back to this main visual.
44:02The river is flowing. This is the Harsal village, Dharali specifically.
44:07And suddenly there is this cloud burst and the gush of water that comes in.
44:12One would think that these are cement buildings, strong and more, but swept away and swallows the whole area.
44:19We'll play out for our viewers again what the Uttarakhand government, Disaster Management Secretary has done in just a short while.
44:26But this is nature's fury at what has happened today afternoon and soon it became very clear and visible from the visuals that have come in
44:36that it is a horrifying tragedy that has taken place. We are praying that our rescue personnel who are trained, well equipped, will be able to rescue as many people as possible.
44:46But it's also the time of sunset. It's Uttarakhand, it's a hill state and the weather is also inclement.
44:53Listen in now to what our leaders are saying.
45:00In the Harsali, the river was born in the Uttarakhand, the river with water and the Uttarakhand, the river is a hill, the river is all over the area.
45:07foreign
45:35प्रातना करते है कि यह सब को मजबूती से खड़ा होकर इस आपड़ा से लोगों को
45:58इस रोड़ पर एक सुखी टॉप पढ़ता है वहाँ भी एककलाउड बेस्ट की ख़बर आई है
46:02There is no doubt about it
46:07But the rain is quite high
46:11The water is growing
46:15Our army and NDRF and SDRF team are there
46:19This is the help of people who are rescued
46:23The team was reached
46:25Besides, the rest of the two units are going to reach
46:31In a coordinated way, the rest of the NDRF and Army
46:35The teams are also being reached
46:40Besides, the SDRF's battalion headquarters
46:47In the SDRF's battalion headquarters
46:51The specialised equipment
46:53They are working on the disaster
46:55They are also working on a job
46:57And we are also working on a job
46:59Where the agencies can help
47:05SACC is closely coordinating
47:09The information is necessary
47:10That in Dharali, there is a gas gas gas gas
47:13In which we can see Uber
47:15In this video we also can see
47:17That because of the flood of the storm
47:18The water is coming in a storm
47:20Because there is guest house
47:21There are restaurants
47:22There are also restaurants
47:24There are also hotels
47:26In which we have to ask
47:28The team has been requested
47:30To help us
47:31I have requested them
47:32And they are also
47:33They sometimes have a phone
47:35The network of connectivity is weak
47:37The network is due to that
47:38But there is no connection
47:40But there is a loss
47:41So there is also
47:44We don't have to go away from the moment, and we don't have to go away from the moment.
47:51Sir, what's your question?
47:53Janhari.
47:54Janhari.
47:55Janhari.
47:56Janhari.
47:57Janhari.
47:58Janhari.
47:59India Today's open source intelligence editor Ankit Kumar is joining me right now.
48:03Ankit, go ahead and explain to us primarily what is it looking like, the before, after
48:08and the impact on the ground.
48:10Well, Puja, every bits and pieces of information collected by our local reporters, official
48:15sources, we have tried to stitch together to give you a better sense of what has been happening
48:20in Uttarkasri's Dharali village.
48:22Now, you have seen the visuals, the dramatic visuals, where you can see the sea of mud essentially
48:29coming from this direction.
48:30Now, this is the Bhagirathi river at the downstate.
48:35It is situated at roughly 8,300 feet.
48:38The Dharali village is roughly at around 8,000 feet from sea level.
48:42And this point that we have pointed is roughly 12,600 feet, which means there's a difference
48:48of roughly 4,000 feet.
48:50What we have also done, Puja, is we have calculated the aprox speed, the aprox speed of the first
48:57wave of the mud that you see in the visuals.
49:00And based on that, roughly 43 km per hour, roughly 43 km per hour was the speed of the
49:07first mud slide that you have seen in the visuals.
49:11Now, the worst affected area, the worst affected area is this place called Dharavi, the Dharavi
49:17Kaspa, the Dharavi village.
49:19This is the set of buildings which have been worst affected.
49:22Thankfully, so far, these buildings appear to be less destroyed, less damaged.
49:28Another important point is, you have also seen the second landslide footage.
49:32The second landslide footage, Puja, is right behind this mountain top.
49:36The Sukhi top is behind this mountain top.
49:39So, at least two landslides have been observed.
49:42First is in Dharavi, which comes from this direction.
49:45The second one is behind this mountain top, the Sukhi top.
49:49Thankfully, we do not believe there is likely to be much more damage than this, because the
49:53residential buildings, we do not see those residential buildings in at least the satellite
49:59pictures available.
50:00This is the Kheergarh Nala, which merges into the Bhagirath River.
50:05Now, the second picture that we have for you is the rough estimate, rough estimate of the
50:10affected village, that is the Dharavi village.
50:13From our calculation, roughly 13 to 14 acres of area has been badly damaged.
50:20How much damage, we will come to later, but this is the broader direction of the mudslide,
50:26and this is the Bhagirathi River.
50:28There is a bridge.
50:29Also, thankfully, there is a helipad.
50:31Right behind this place, there is a working helipad that should be used during the rescue
50:37efforts.
50:38This is the overview.
50:39This is the helipad.
50:40This is the helipad that we just discussed.
50:43So, if at all, this could be used as part of the rescue operation.
50:48This is the affected place.
50:49A very famous temple called Kalp Kedar Temple is located at this place, right at the bank
50:56of the river.
50:57Direction of the mudslide is from this side.
51:02The Suki top is behind this mountain top, and this place also has a helipad.
51:09So, if this helipad somehow is safe, this could be used during the rescue operation.
51:16Now, the next point is, which is much more important, is this one.
51:21In the red dots that you see, these are the buildings that are likely destroyed or completely
51:26swept away.
51:27So, on the right side, on the right side, you have much more red dots, which means that
51:32the destruction caused by the landslide or the mudslide is much more in this direction.
51:37The temple and other buildings are on this side.
51:41Unfortunately, at least four or five buildings have been damaged.
51:46But the yellow dots that you see, Pooza, are likely partially damaged buildings.
51:50That is what we have been able to gather so far.
51:53And this is important because what you are showing us corroborates with the visuals also
51:56that have come in.
51:57And it matches with that as well.
51:58Also, an important point that Ankit Kumar is bringing to us.
52:01You can see a helipad in the background, speaking to us just a short while ago.
52:06From the Uttarakhand government, the officials said from the Disaster Management Department,
52:10they have been provided helicopters by the government of the centre.
52:14And they would be using that because there is otherwise inclement weather,
52:17cannot even take road.
52:18All of these barriers would have come in because of the aftermath.
52:21Now, look at this visual on your screen.
52:24The impact of when people rushed for safety but clearly got swallowed by the gush of floodwater.
52:30And the aftermath of at least few survivors trying to find their way out.
52:35Prayers with each one of them in Uttarakashi in Dharali village right now.
52:40This is India Today's top story.
52:44To our guests as well and our colleagues on the ground.
52:47But importantly, I leave with a question.
52:49Nature's fury aside, what about the man-made construction or destruction?
52:56And water.
52:57And water.
52:58.
52:59.
53:00.
53:01.
53:02.
53:03.
53:04.
53:05.
53:06.
53:07.
53:11.
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