Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who has been camping in Uttarkashi, is overseeing what might be one of the biggest rescue operations the state has ever seen, in which 815 people from dozens of different agencies are working together in an extremely challenging situation.
Two people are confirmed dead. Sixteen others—including nine soldiers—are still missing somewhere around Dharali and Harshil. The tragedy could have been worse, but 382 people who should have been trapped or killed have been brought to safety.
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Indian Air Force (IAF) Chinooks are utilised alongside nimble Cheetah helicopters that can land in spaces the size of a basketball court. The state's own disaster management agency’s eight helicopters are making trip after trip, pushing the limits of what is safe in these weather conditions.
By Friday morning, these aircraft had completed 93 sorties, each one carrying either supplies in or people out.
In addition to the CM, District Magistrate Prashant Arya and Police Superintendent Sarita Dobhal have been living in Harshil for three days straight.
On Friday morning, Home Secretary Shailesh Bagauli was at the control room at 7 AM.
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Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan is running things from the State Emergency Operations Centre while Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey is coordinating field operations. Multiple additional secretaries have been asked to drop everything else to focus on this single operation.
150 soldiers from the Rajputana Rifles (one of India's most storied infantry regiments) are working alongside Ghatak commandos—special forces soldiers who specialise in the impossible. Alongside them are 250 Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel who know these mountains better than anyone, plus 113 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) specialists.
In addition, 25 revenue department employees are constantly handling documentation and logistics. Ten fire department personnel are on standby for any emergency. Fifteen police wireless operators are keeping the communication lines working, while six sniffer dogs are also hard at work.
Of the 14 injured people pulled from the wreckage and chaos, three were rushed to AIIMS Rishikesh. Two others went to Dehradun's main hospital. The rest are being treated at Uttarkashi's district hospital, where eight specialists have been deployed specifically for this emergency.
To handle potential casualties, the state has prepared 294 hospital beds and 65 ICU slots.
Five JCB excavators are clawing through debris that might be hiding survivors. Three additional excavators and two dozers are clearing roads to ensure that no one remains trapped. Ten tippers are hauling away rubble, while generators are restoring power to communities cut off from the world.
The 125 kVA generator hauled to Harshil by the Air Force Chinook has restored power to the terrain.
So far, 2,500 ready-to-eat meal packets have been delivered to Harshil. The Food and Supply Department is working around the clock to keep those supplies coming.
The operation's biggest enemy is time and unpredictable weather, what with rain still battering the state.
The Army is working seamlessly with state police. Central agencies are taking orders from local officials. Politicians are letting technocrats run the show.
Indeed, this rescue operation has all the elements of being studied in disaster management courses over the years, with CM Dhami's decision to camp in Uttarkashi for three days, sending a message beyond politics.
