Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday held a high-level meeting with District Magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police to review ongoing relief and rescue operations in Kulsari, Chamoli, following the recent devastating cloudburst.
The Chief Minister personally conducted field inspections of rescue and relief activities in the affected areas of Tharali, Chamoli.
At a relief camp in Kulsari, Dhami met with the disaster-affected victims, offering reassurance and promising continued assistance.
He said, “People have been rescued, and those injured have been admitted to hospitals. Essential support is being provided. We are working to get all necessary arrangements, including water and electricity, in order.”
He emphasized the priority to relocate affected people to safer locations and ensure they have access to essential facilities.
“Before that, we are making arrangements to relocate people to safe locations and provide them with essential facilities. Our priority is to help the victims. The administration is continuously working for it. Police, NDRF, SDRF, everyone reached here yesterday morning. I was in contact with them continuously,” he added.
The visit comes amid intensified relief efforts in the district, where teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and local administration are engaged in evacuating stranded residents, distributing relief material, and restoring essential services.
According to officials, the cloudburst on Friday night in Toonri Gadera of Tharali tehsil left one person dead and another missing, while several others sustained injuries. Debris from the downpour swept into Tharali market and nearby areas, damaging houses, including the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s residence, and burying vehicles and shops.
According to a statement from the CMO, the Chief Minister requested all the public representatives to cooperate with the district administration in relief and rescue operations. Along with this, he also spoke to the local MLA and expected him to stay on the spot and physically inspect the relief and rescue operations.