Reaching out braving all odds - Responding to cloudburst at Faldiya, Chamoli

The Himalayan communities are grappling with increased uncertainty in weather patterns and associated hydro-meteorological disasters. Frequency of cloud bursts, flashfloods, landslides have been increasing along with the extent of damage each of these events cause. 

On the evening of 8th August 2019, a cloud burst occurred in Devaal block at around 8:30 pm. At around 11 pm the early responders from Uttarakhand Disaster Management and Mitigation Center (DMMC) stationed in Tharali (around 25 km from the village) were informed of the disaster.  

Pragya has worked with the DMMC, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to train a cadre of youth as Disaster Response Team (DRT) representing 800+ villages across 4 districts for monitoring of environmental parameters to facilitate preparedness and for acting as first responders. Among DMMC early responders include the youth trained by Pragya. The early responders started with their kits at around 11:30 pm but due to challenging terrain, heavy rains and landslide, they managed to reach the affected village only at 5:00 am in the morning. They immediately started search and rescue. They learnt that 2 people in the village were missing - a 7 year old girl and her mother. The village had been washed away and buried under debris. According to the DRT members, around 17 households were affected and almost all the houses were destroyed in the disaster. Apart from one or two partially damaged houses, there was no trace of a village. Soon enough the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) also reached and started search and rescue work.

DRT members carrying relief supplies to affected village

The early responders took all the villagers to safe zones - a school and a hospital, which are in relatively high grounds.  There the people were treated for their injuries and provied first aid. Food was provided to the affected families at around 2:00 pm of 9^th August 2019. Prior to that the villagers didn’t have anything to eat. 

The local government announced a compensation once the District Magistrate, andnother government officials visited the site. A team of doctor and nurse were also deployed to attend to the people. Various NGOs including Pragya (www.pragya.org) helped with food and emergency supplies. The DRT members helped in carrying the material to the village along treacherous paths and distributing  them to the affected households.

Responding to cloudburst at Bhapkund, Chamoli

Migrant workers from various states of India and from distant villages in Nepal commute to Himalayas for the seasonal road construction and maintenance work. They remain vulnerable to the extreme weather and suffer from lack of resources and services.

On 26th July 2018 at 3:00 am there was a cloudburst near Bhapkund, a small labour camp situated at 55 km from the block headquarter Joshimath town, in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India.

Site of cloudburst

Rain water and mudslides gushed down the mountain slopes causing severe damage. 11 households (50 people) in the migrant worker camp were affected. They lost their belonging. The road access was temporarily cut-off.

Pragya (www.pragya.org) has been implementing “DMS Himalaya”, with the aim of improving disaster management processes in the Himalayan region. DMS Himalaya is being piloted across 4 districts in Uttarakhand, India (Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh and Rudraprayag). As part of this initiative, Pragya has installed a network of 80 weather stations across these districts. As per observations from weather station installed at DMS Himalaya Cluster Malari, the area was on high alert for heavy rainfall.

Pragya team reached out with emergency relief supplies

Pragya has set up District Disaster Management Support Units (DDMSU) with dedicated human resource and ICT equipment for coordinating pre-disaster preparedness and post-disaster relief activities. The DDMSU team located at Joshimath, reached the migrant labour camp and conducted rapid damage and needs assessment. The families were in severe distress. Mr. Premchand Bahadur had lost his wife and fifteen month old child. In another family, Ms. Laxmi Devi had lost her child who was two years old. Based on the assessment, Pragya team provided food, blankets, medical kits and hygiene kits to affected community and psychosocial support to the people in-need. 

Bridging communication gap during flashfloods and landslides - Chauna, Pithoragarh

The Himalayan ecosystem is one of the sensitive and fragile ecosystems, facing severe disaster vulnerability. Frequency and intensity of disasters are on the rise. Munsiyari tehsil in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, India is one of the remotest regions across the Indian Himalayas. It is located along the ancient salt route from Tibet. It stretches along the Gori Ganga river which emerges from the Milam Glacier located in the tehsil.

Chauna is a small village in Munsiari tehsil, situated at the confluence of two rivers (Kali ganga and Gori ganga), with a population of approximately 300. The village got completely disconnected after multiple flashfloods and landslides on 2nd July 2018. The District Disaster Managemnt Support Unit (DDMSU) set up by Pragya, reconnected the village with district administration for effective relief and rehabilitation network.

Road blocked due to flashflood

Building on its work in the region since the devastating 2013 Uttarakhand floods, Pragya (www.pragya.org) has trained a network of local youth responders that constitute local Disaster Response Teams (DRT). They are connected with local Points of Presence(PoP) - facilities with relevant ICT equipment that function as proximal broadcast / communication centres for isolated habitations (e.g, police outposts with advanced telecom facilities) to act as effective communication channels for risk monitoring, early-warning and post-disaster response coordination.

DDMSU members trekking to affected village

Following the event, the concerned DRT member for Chauna village, trekked for 5 km to reach the PoP (Forest Chowki) for the area in order to report the flashflood and landslides. The DDMSU team at Pithoragarh received the information on 3rd July 2018. They immediately alerted the District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO; district government) and then travelled 150 km (including a 30 km trek) to conduct detailed needs assessment. The information was then relayed to the district government.

The DMS-Communication network acted as a major support to the communities, breaching communication gaps between DDMO’s and affected communities, and activating necessary government action post disaster.