Following a devastating cloudburst and heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has launched swift operations to restore road and bridge connectivity to the affected areas of Dharali and Harsil.
BRO Director General Lt Gen Raghu Srinivasan said that four major landslide points and a damaged bridge are currently being addressed, with connectivity expected to be restored soon. Bridge construction work is likely to commence by tonight.
Speaking to ANI, Lt Gen Srinivasan said, “After the cloudburst and subsequent heavy rainfall, the stretch from here to Dharali—approximately 96 km—has four major landslide points, and one bridge has been destroyed. For the past two days, BRO personnel and machinery have been actively engaged in clearing the debris and restoring access. We expect road connectivity to be restored within a few hours. Bridge components have already been loaded, and our jawans are ready. Once the road is clear, they will immediately begin bridge construction, which we aim to launch within a day.”
“In the next three days, we expect to fully reopen the road to Harsil and restore connectivity. The road linking Harsil and Dharali is currently submerged. We are evaluating whether to restore the old road or carve out a new route—both options are under consideration,” he added.
The Uttarakhand government told ANI that individuals stranded in Gangotri and surrounding areas have been safely evacuated to Harsil. The group includes 131 people from Gujarat, 123 from Maharashtra, 21 from Madhya Pradesh, 12 from Uttar Pradesh, six from Rajasthan, seven from Delhi, five each from Assam and Karnataka, three from Telangana, and one from Punjab. All evacuees are reported to be safe and are being transported to Uttarkashi or Dehradun.
Additionally, the Uttarakhand Police confirmed that evacuees from the Uttarkashi disaster were airlifted from Harsil to Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun on Thursday via a Chinook helicopter. Medical check-ups are being conducted for all evacuees upon arrival.
Relief and rescue operations are continuing on a war footing, led by joint efforts from the Uttarakhand Police, SDRF, Army, ITBP, and other agencies.
(ANI)