Bridge built to restore connectivity between Uttarkashi and Harshil

Uttarkashi: A vital bridge was constructed in disaster-hit areas of Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand on Sunday, with authorities focusing more on supplying relief materials to people who have been stranded without essentials for over five days now.

Rescuers have intensified searches to trace the missing persons and have deployed sniffer and cadaver dogs as well as thermal imaging cameras to locate them after a devastating flash floods and mudslides buried half of Dharali village and nearby areas in Uttarkashi on Tuesday.

The sixth day of rescue operations to evacuate the stranded and find the missing was delayed till 10 am on Sunday due to bad weather. By 3 pm, 177 people were airlifted from disaster-hit areas by deploying helicopters. Around 1,200 people have been rescued so far.

The district administration has confirmed four deaths in the tragedy, the recovery of two bodies and 49 people missing since the disaster.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami chaired a meeting at the State Emergency Operation Centre in Dehradun to review relief and rescue operations in disaster-affected areas.

A 90-feet Bailey bridge was constructed along the Gangotri National Highway to restore connectivity between Gangnani and Harshil, officials said.

A Bailey bridge is a kind of modular bridge that can be quickly assembled with pre-built parts.

Personnel of the Indian Army and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) constructed the bridge in a day despite facing bad weather, engineers at the site said.

#WATCH | Uttarakhand | The bridge connecting Uttarkashi to Harsil has been reconstructed to facilitate easy movement of machinery and relief materials in the aftermath of the cloudburst and flash floods that caused mass destruction in Dharali and Harsil of Uttarkashi district on… pic.twitter.com/hTBOIzwOI4

— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2025

An alternate route was also created on the Harshil-Dharali road, a long stretch of which was damaged by the raging waters of the floods, so that relief materials could be sent to affected areas.

Home Secretary Shailesh Bagauli directed authorities to supply 2,000 litres of diesel per day to Dharali and ensure that LPG cylinders are given to the affected.

Horses and mules are also being used to transport essential supplies until roads are repaired and become operational, he said.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off nearly half a dozen vehicles carrying disaster relief material from his camp office in Dehradun for the affected people in Dharali.

Dispatched by Kotak Mahindra Bank, under a CSR initiative, for relief and rehabilitation in Dharali, the raw rations, including flour, rice, pulses, spices, edible oil and essential items of daily use like toothpaste, bathing and washing soaps, are sufficient for 10 to 12 days.

Clothes, blankets and shoes were also part of the relief materials sent to the affected people.

Blockages along the highway at Songad, Dabrani, Harsil and Dharali due to erosion by the Bhagirathi river or landslide debris are also being cleared on a war footing, officials said.

Medical teams, including specialist doctors, are stationed in the disaster-affected area to continuously provide their services.

A large amount of food and relief material was sent to the Harsil helipad from the Matli helipad for the affected people in helicopters.

The helicopters have made more than 260 sorties since the start of rescue operations on August 7. Eight helicopters are being operated from the Matli helipad. Apart from them, Chinook, Mi-17, ALH-1 and Cheetah helicopters of the Army are also providing support in the airlifting operation from the Chinyalisaur airstrip.

The SDRF is also preparing to deploy its divers with rafts to aid the ongoing search operations, officials said. Rescuers are checking before and after photos of certain sites where people were last seen and carrying out digging.

A satellite communication hub was set up in Dharali village, which has lost mobile connectivity since Tuesday, officials said.

Flying of drones was completely banned by the administration in Dharali, Harsil, Matli, Uttarkashi and Chinyalisaur as they could cause obstructions to the helicopters engaged in relief and rescue operations.

Power supply was restored in Harsil valley on Sunday as the entire power infrastructure, including electricity poles, wires, transformers and sub-stations, in the area was destroyed in the floods.

Engineers and linemen airlifted to the affected area replaced damaged poles and wires, added new service lines and started temporary supply from generator sets.

Solar energy and micro-hydro grids made power available in the valley. Electricity to Mukhwa village was restored by generating 25 kilowatts from a micro-hydro grid.