Uttarakhand glacier burst: 13 villages lose road connectivity

Thirteen villages in the Himalayan ranges have lost road connectivity as five bridges, including one on the road outside the village and stretching to the China border were washed away during Sunday’s landslide triggered by a glacier burst.

Raini village is settled on two mountains separated by the river Rishiganga, which meets river Dhauliganga.

Sunday’s landslide washed away a concrete bridge connecting the two villages, snapping road connectivity and forcing the government to press helicopters into service to deliver food supplies.

“This is Raini Chak Subhai and across the river is Raini Chak Lata,” Chander Singh, a local resident, told DH.

Besides the concrete bridge, four cable-stayed bridges – a common feature in these mountain ranges – were also damaged.

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"Raini Chak Lata, Pang, Suki, Bhallagaon, Suraithota, Tolma, Long Segdi (Tamak) and Jumma –located across the river Rishiganga have lost road connectivity, Sher Singh Butola, Assistant Commandant, First Battalion," ITBP said.

Villages Jugju, Juwagwad, Bhanyal, Gahar and Aira across the river Dhuliganga too have no road connectivity.

Several installations of the Army, ITBP and Border Roads Organisations too are located across the two rivers and currently have no road connectivity.

“We have pressed helicopters into service and they have been evacuating those requiring medical help and airdropping food supplies,” Butola said.

Chetan Rana and his brother Ravi cannot attend school as it is located across the river in Raini Chak Lata.

“It has been a few days that we had resumed school after the closure due to coronavirus,” Ravi said pointing to the remnants of the bridge that was the sole connectivity across the river.

A house located on the edge of the road too was washed away, locals said.

Kaleram’s brothers Jaiprasad and Harender were posted as security guards at the Rishiganga hydel project and have been missing since Sunday.

“The security office was located near the bridge and now it is gone under the debris,” Kaleram said watching the rescue operations in progress.