‘Heard a deafening sound’: Witnesses recall the Dharali horror in Uttarakhand

MUSSOORIE: “It was terrifying… no 1 really understood what was coming,” said Sudhanshu Semwal, 20, a occupier of Mukhba hamlet, ease shaken after watching the floodwater and dust crash into Dharali, a bustling market town barely five kilometres from Harsil on the Gangotri highway in Uttarkashi district.The water came “with a roar” and swept through Dharali with terrifying speed, leaving nothing behind. “I heard a deafening sound like boulders grinding. And then we saw the Kheer Ganga river turn into a monster. It reminded me of the 2013 disaster — the panic, the helplessness, the destruction. It’s happening again,” said Sunita Devi, another resident of Mukhba.The flash flood, triggered by a suspected cloudburst over the upper reaches of the Keer Ganga river on Tuesday, flattened a large part of Dharali in a matter of minutes.Witnesses said some people celebrating the Someshwar Devta fair in Mukhba had seen the water a few moments earlier and started raising an alarm. “We were shouting to alert those across the river, but many in Dharali were busy with their daily routine. Some didn’t take the warnings seriously because it was just light rain. Then suddenly, the market was swallowed,” said Semwal.Dharali resident Sanjay Panwar said the devastation was yet to sink in. “I had gone to a nearby town. When I returned, I couldn’t recognise my own market. It was a field of debris and mud. Homes were gone. People were screaming. I stood there speechless.”Lokendra Bisht, a BJP leader who runs a homestay in Harsil, said the entire town vanished in a matter of minutes. Bisht said among the hotels destroyed in the tragedy was one run by his relative Jai Bhagwan Panwar.MLA Gangotri Suresh Chauhan said he immediately contacted chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and top state officials. “I am on my way to the site to personally assess the situation and assist the people,” he said.A local resident, Prakash Rangad, said Dharali was a stop for pilgrims on their way to Gangotri. “Now it’s ghostly,” he said.As rescue teams continue searching for survivors and clearing the devastation, the memories of 2013 have returned to haunt the people of Uttarkashi. “This time, it is Dharali that has borne the brunt…and we don’t know how many have died this time,” he added.Uttarkashi SP Sarita Dobhal said that a tragic event, involving extreme rainfall and a cloudburst, had caused heavy loss of life and property in the Dharali-Harsil area. “Police, SDRF, and fire and revenue departments are on the ground. Our teams have rescued many stranded people and shifted them to safer locations,” she added.A status note by the Central Water Commission in Delhi said there were three extreme weather events in quick succession in Uttarkashi district. The first incident was at Dharali, near Harshil, at about 1pm when a suspected cloudburst crashed into the village.The second incident was between Harshil and Gangnani (near Sukki Top) at about 3pm. It said the assessment of damage and human impact was currently underway. A third incident was reported near the army camp in Harshil, leading to a flash flood-like situation in the area. The Harshil helipad was reportedly submerged due to heavy rainfall.