Tapovan in Chamoli, Uttrakhand
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah today informed Parliament that the functional 13.2 MW RishiGanga hydro project at Tapovan was washed away due to flash flood on account of rising of water levels in the river RishiGanga, while the under construction 520 MW NTPC Hydro Power Project downstream at Tapovan on the river Dhauli Ganga was also affected.
The Home Minister said as per information received from Government of Uttarakhand, 20 persons had died and 6 persons had been injured so far, while a total of 197 persons were reported missing which included 139 persons of under construction project of NTPC, 46 persons of the functional Rishi Ganga Project, and 12 villagers as on February 8, 2021 at 1700hour.
State Government had announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 4 lakh each for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the incident.
In a tunnel of NTPC project, approximately 25–35 persons were suspected to have been trapped and rescue operation to evacuate them was going on war footing and all out efforts are simultaneously being made for searching missing persons, Shah said and mentioned that 13 villages around the place of incident had been cut off due to washing away of one bridge. “In these villages necessary supplies and medical assistance is being provided through helicopters,” he said.
12 persons from NTPC project had been rescued, who were trapped in a tunnel, Shah said, and informed that 15 persons from RishiGanga project have also been rescued.
Offering details of the avalanche in the upper catchment of RishiGanga River in Chamoli District of Uttarakhand, Shah said it was observed from the satellite data (Planet Lab) of February 7, 2021 in catchment of Rishi Ganga river at the terminus of the glacier at an altitude of 5600 m a landslide triggered a snow avalanche covering approximately 14 sq.km area and causing a flash flood in the downstream of Rishi Ganga River, a tributary of Alaknanda River in Chamoli District of Uttarakhand.
He said the Uttarakhand government had reported that there was no danger of downstream flooding and the rise in water level had been contained.
While the Centre and the State Government had been keeping a strict vigil on the situation, Shah said the district administration, police and disaster management departments of State Government along with all central agencies had been working for rescue and relief work. He informed that two teams of SDRF, seven medical teams with 8 ambulances of State Health Department along with Chief Medical Officer were deployed. In addition to this, 05 Helicopters were also deployed for rescue and relief works. Shah said electricity had been restored in almost all the affected areas, while restoration work of 5 completely damaged bridges had been initiated by PWD and BRO.
Shah said situation was being monitored round the clock by Central Government at the highest level and the Prime Minister himself was monitoring the situation closely. He further informed that the Indo-Tibetan Border Police had set up their Control Room and 450 personnel of ITBP with all necessary equipment were engaged in rescue and relief operation. Besides, 5 National Disaster Response Force teams had reached at the place of incident and were engaged in rescue and relief operation. Moreover, eight teams of Indian Army, including one Engineer Task Force (ETF), were carrying rescue operation at incident site. One Medical column with two ambulances were also deployed, and a diving team of Indian Navy had also reached at incident site for rescue operation.
Shah said five Indian Air Force helicopters had also been engaged in rescue operation, and a Control Room had been established at Joshimath. While one team of Sashtra Seema Bal (SSB) was also deployed at incident site, a team of Snow & Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) /DRDO had also reached at the site for surveillance and reconnaissance.
Shah further said that in the financial year 2020-21, Rs 1041.00 crore had been allocated to the State of Uttrakhand under the State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF), and the first instalment of the Central share amounting to Rs 468.50 crore had been released to the State Government.
– global bihari bureau
