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.
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.
