Calamity Trail: Map Shows How Chamoli Glacier Break Wreaked Havoc

Here is a map tracing the destruction caused due to the Chamoli tragedy.

Several people have been either declared dead or feared dead due to the flash floods in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Sunday, 7 February, following a glacier burst.

Here is a map tracing the destruction caused due to the tragedy.

• The tragedy took place after the water level in Dhauliganga river, one of the six sources of the Ganga river, suddenly surged on Sunday morning, following an avalanche near the Rishi Ganga power project. The 85 km river meets the Alaknanda river at Vishnuprayag at the base of Joshimath mountain.
• The ITBP said that the flash flood occurred in Rishi Ganga at around 10.45 am due to a glacier falling into it and exponentially increasing the volume of water.
• Due to this, the Rishi Ganga hydro project, situated on the Rishi Ganga river, which is a tributary of Dhauliganga, was completely devastated, it said.
• "The BRO bridge on Joshimath highway was also completely washed away. There were six graziers with their livestock there and they were also swept away by the flash flood," the ITBP said.
• An NTPC project on river Dhauliganga near Tapovan was completely devastated. Two 'Jhula' bridges connecting villages on the other side of the river were also washed away. Several workers and villagers have either been declared dead or are missing.
• Around 250 personnel of ITBP carried out heavy rescue and search operations on the site. The paramilitary force said connectivity of its Border Outposts was totally restricted due to the bridge destruction near Reni village.
• Though the impact of the disaster may not be felt in Rishikesh and Haridwar, the temple towns had been put on alert.
• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in the incident and declared Rs 4 lakh compensation to the family of those whose bodies have been recovered from the spot. Rawat, who visited the spot, is taking stock of the situation and supervising rescue and relief operations.

(With inputs from IANS)