In a decisive response to the catastrophic flooding that struck Tharali in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced the immediate deployment of a high-level expert team to investigate the disaster’s causes. The directive comes in the wake of a deadly deluge on August 22, which left a trail of destruction in the Himalayan village, claiming the life of a young girl and leaving an elderly man missing.

Dhami, addressing the urgency of recurring natural calamities in the region, instructed the formation of a multidisciplinary team comprising experts from the Geological Survey of India, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, National Institute of Hydrology, Uttarakhand Landslide Reduction and Management Center, Central Water Commission, and the state’s Irrigation Department. According to State Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman, the Chief Minister emphasized the need for a comprehensive survey, similar to one conducted in Dharali, Uttarkashi, to unravel why such disasters are becoming frequent and how massive debris flows accompany floodwaters in the Himalayan terrain.

The expert team, tasked with reporting to the Chamoli District Magistrate, will conduct an in-depth analysis of the floods and landslides that devastated key areas, including the Tehsil office in Radibag, the Tharali market, Kotdeep, Chapdon, Sangwada, and the residential complex of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate. Their mission is to pinpoint the triggers of the disaster—sparked by heavy midnight rains that overwhelmed the Toonri Gad raindrain, spreading debris across the region—and propose effective mitigation strategies.

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The August 22 disaster caused widespread damage, burying homes, shops, and vehicles under sludge and damaging the SDM’s residence. Anand Swaroop, Additional Secretary and Additional Chief Executive Officer-Administration, has issued urgent directives to the involved institutions, ensuring rapid mobilization of experts to prevent future tragedies in this vulnerable Himalayan region.

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