Dehradun, Feb 28 (IANS) An avalanche near Mana triggered a massive rescue operation, with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami leading the charge. Deeply worried for the safety of those trapped, he acted swiftly, mobilising resources and monitoring every step of the process.
On Friday, an avalanche struck near the high-altitude border village of Mana in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, trapping several labourers from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) who were working to clear snow in the area. Initially, 57 workers were buried under the snow. Labourers do regular snow clearing work on the route for army movement towards the Tibet border.
According to Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari, the avalanche engulfed a BRO camp located between Mana and Badrinath. Rescue teams faced challenging conditions, including rugged terrain, heavy snowfall, and rain, as they worked tirelessly to save the trapped labourers. As of now, there have been no reports of casualties.
By Friday evening, the Chief Minister was at the State Emergency Operations Center at USDMA, ensuring the relief operations were running like clockwork. The rescue efforts brought together multiple agencies—the Army, ITBP (Indian Tibetan Border Police), NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), SDRF, BRO (Border Roads Organisation), Health Department, local administration, UCADA (Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority) the Health Department, the local administration and the Air Force—working side by side.
The Chief Minister received updates from District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari, urging him to pull out all the stops to rescue everyone still stranded.
The Chief Minister plans to visit the disaster site, referred to as “ground zero,” on Saturday, if weather conditions remain favourable. He has given the green light for helicopters from the Air Force, UCADA, and private operators to join the “heli-rescue” operation from Saturday morning, stressing that the rescue must progress with urgency and determination.
Earlier on Friday, the Chief Minister made two visits to the operations center—once at 2:00 pm and again at 8:05 pm—to assess the progress. He directed the Disaster Management Secretary to accelerate the operation, ensuring all agencies are in sync.
To streamline the effort, he instructed the clearing of the helipad at Badrinath with help from the Army, ITBP, and BRO, and called for the setup of a control room in Joshimath to coordinate activities effectively.
Secretary of Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Vinod Kumar Suman clarified that while initial reports indicated 57 workers were trapped, the count was revised to 55 as two workers were on leave. By 5:00 pm, 32 workers were successfully rescued, and another was saved later in the night, bringing the total to 33.
Efforts are in full swing to locate and rescue the remaining 22 workers. A detailed list of affected individuals has been compiled, ensuring accuracy and accountability.
This operation is a collective fight against time, showcasing coordination, grit, and hope as everyone strives to bring all the trapped workers to safety.
Mana, three kilometres from Badrinath, is the last village on the India-Tibet border at a height of 3,200 metres.
–IANS
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