Seven days after the Kheer Ganga disaster on August 5, Uttarkashi continues to face severe challenges. Villages like Gangotri Dham, Harsil, and Dharali remain cut off from the district headquarters. Many people are still untraceable, and rescue operations are hampered by rising river levels and disrupted communication.
Traffic on the Gangotri Highway beyond Dobran is completely halted, with multiple sections severely damaged. The only way to reach Dharali is a 30 km trek over steep slopes, broken trails, and landslide debris, making the journey especially difficult for the elderly, children, and women.
Rescue teams from the Army, NDRF, ITBP, SDRF, police, and disaster management units are on the ground. Chinook, MI-17, and eight other helicopters are deployed for airlifts, rescuing 1,278 people so far, including seven pregnant women now under medical care. Relief camps in affected villages are providing food, medicines, and health checkups.
The disaster has left 43 people missing, including 24 Nepali workers whose families are being contacted. One body has been recovered from Dharali. The government has distributed ₹5 lakh each to 98 affected families, set up a Bailey bridge at Limchagad to restore vehicle movement, and is transporting gas cylinders from Dobran to Songad by mule. However, the 30 km foot journey to Dharali-Harsil remains the biggest hardship for locals.
