Heavy rains continue to disrupt search operations in devastation-hit Dharali, Uttarakhand, where many people are still missing and feared dead. The biggest challenge for rescuers is to locate those possibly trapped under debris, some buried 40–50 feet above what was once Dharali village and its bustling market. With route connectivity broken, heavy machinery and resources for excavation and restoration remain limited.
HI-TECH TOOLS ASSIST RESCUERS IN SEARCH AMID HEAVY RAIN
Despite the odds, agencies are deploying advanced technology to aid in recovery. The NDRF, SDRF and the Army have brought in sophisticated equipment such as victim detection cameras, rescue radars, ground-penetrating radars (GPR) and thermal imaging drones. Sniffer dogs have been deployed to locate survivors or bodies, even in extremely narrow passages within collapsed structures buried under mud and debris.
Uttarakhand SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi said, “We are searching every possible structure to recover the dead bodies of missing people by using all available resources.”
The Indian Army is using sniffer dogs and thermal scanners in search of nine missing jawans trapped in the mud at the Harshil Army camp. Moisture and the thickness of the mud remain major obstacles in detecting the bodies.
NDRF teams are using GPR to scan beneath the mud for possible structures and even bone remains, along with rescue radars to detect breathing or movement. Live Detector 3 devices have also been deployed to monitor any motion beneath the debris during the crucial “golden hours” — the first few hours after a disaster when survival chances are highest.
NDRF Commandant Sudesh, operational in charge at Dharali, said these technologies are “very efficient and capable during the golden hours, where the possibility of finding people alive and moving is much higher.”
FRESH RAIN COMPLICATES THE SITUATION
The turbulent weather is repeatedly disrupting both search and restoration efforts in Dharali. The already lost golden hours, combined with relentless downpours, have made the search for missing persons even more challenging. The thick mud has washed away the entire Dharali village and market, leaving rescuers to work in extremely difficult conditions.
NO MACHINES, NO WORKFORCE DUE TO RAIN
Due to poor road connectivity and continuous rainfall, there is a shortage of heavy machinery and manpower on the ground. Harshil and Dharali remain cut off from Uttarkashi by road.
AIR CORRIDOR PROVIDES CRITICAL LIFELINE
To bypass the damaged routes, the Army and Air Force have established an air passage and corridor between Uttarkashi and Harshil. This is playing a crucial role in supplying logistics and evacuating stranded people from the affected areas.
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