Northern India Offroad Club (NIOC) Uttrakhand Relief Initiative Team 1 of NIOC Uttrakhand Relief Initiative set out with an objective to assist the local authorities in evacuation of stranded tourists and locals. This team comprising of Sanchay Chaturvedi, Ajay Baisala, Mayank Takur and Jayant Chaturvedi were in the region in 2 Thars within the first few days of the calamity. On the ground, they provided assistance in transporting of victims from helipads to the base camps setup at Guptkashi, apart from being the first means of contacting their families. Hundreds of anxious families got word of the well being of their loved ones over the mobiles of the team members. Team 2 set out with the objective of providing direct assistance to locals affected by floods. This team comprised of Sarvinder Singh, Rabindra Singh, Amit Bajaj, Rahul Maroli, Kapil Anand, Sanchay Chaturvedi, Sangeet Kumar and Manish Singh in 4 SUVs. The idea was to reach Ukhimath and work with local agencies identified by Dr. Amit Deol. Team 2 set out with the objective of providing direct assistance to locals affected by floods. The idea was to reach Ukhimath and work with local agencies identified by Dr. Amit Deol. Based on generous contribution from members and friends, we collected about 200 blankets, 150 umbrellas, 300 torches & batteries, water purification tablets for about 300,000 liters, 100 medical gloves, 400 ORS packets and 20 tent tarpaulins. The team also had a task to provide transport for the relief material collected by an NGO from Srinagar to Ukhimath, a distance of 150 kilometers on hill and landslide affected roads. Fearing shortage of diesel, we had carried about 150 liters of fuel in jerry cans. However, fortunately for us, there was no shortage of fuel anywhere enroute. Day 1, 28th June 2013: Team 2, left Gurgaon at 3:00am and reached Srinagar (Garhwal) at 1:30pm via Najibabad, Kotwar and Pauri covering a distance of 380 kms. A friend of RB had organized breakfast at Kotdwar and also provided us with additional relief supplies. At Srinagar, we unloaded half the relief supplies and left it with the NGO to be sent to other areas that would need it. We then took on board about 250 kgs rice /wheat flour and food packets from the NGO, which had to be transported to Ukhimath for distribution to families whose members had either died in the floods or were missing. We were told that the direct route between Srinagar and Ukhimath (of 77 kms) was closed due to the destruction. Hence, were advised to take a 198 kms route via Gaucher, Nandaprayag and Chamoli. Due to landslides and destruction this drive would have taken us about 6-7 hours. We took a judgment call not to drive at night on unknown road and decided to drive a distance of 130kms till Gopeshwar and stay there for the night. We left Srinagar at 3:00pm and reached Gopeshwar at 7:30pm and stayed there. Day 2, 29th June 2013: We left Gopeshwar at 6:00am and reached Ukhimath at 11:00 stopping for breakfast at Chamoli. At Ukhimath, Dr. Amit Deol had already worked out a list of the affected people with the help of local Village Pradhans. We managed to distribute the relief material to about 40 families who had lost a loved one and about 20 families whose loved ones were missing. We then proceeded further towards Raunlek to provide direct relief to a couple of affected villages. However, the approach road to a bridge near Raunlek was completely washed away from both sides and our vehicles could go no further. We then met villagers who were going to these villages on foot and requested them to carry the relief material further with them and distribute it to the affected families. These villagers told us stories of lives lost from their villages in Kedarnath and Badrinath and how their business and livelihoods were affected. We also distributed relief material to Nepali workers who had been working on the road projects and had lost most of their belongings in the floods. Since, it was already 3:00pm, and knowing the road conditions for our return journey, we decided to drive 35kms up to Duggalbitta and rest for the night at the PWD rest house. Day 3, 30th June 2013: We started our 540 kms journey back at 6:00am and drove continuously for about 20 hours to reach Gurgaon the next day at 2:30 am. The entire effort had a humbling impact on all of us. We tried to make a difference to the lives of people who had seen so much in the last few days. There was sadness everywhere. The calamity has touched every living soul in the region in some way or the other. In towns like Rudraprayag and Gopeshwar which did not bear the brunt of the calamity, there was a strange silence. Apart from the loss of lives and property, the long term consequences for the region are more profound. The region had been heavily dependent on pilgrim tourism. The villagers and shopkeepers told us that for the past 2 weeks, pilgrim tourism had completely stopped in the region. The calamity has not just taken away lives and homes; it has even stolen the livelihood of people. Rebuilding the region would be a long and painful process and will need a more co-ordinated effort from the government, the agencies and citizens likes us.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Jul 2013 13:53:39 +0000
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