uttrakhand flood essay in 300 words
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UTTRAKHAND FLOODS
THE FLOODS TRIGGERED BY VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND CLOUDBURST IN UTTARAKHAND ON 16-17 JUNE 2013, AFFECTED 12 OUT OF THE 13 DISTRICTS IN UTTARAKHAND. THE 4 DISTRICTS THAT WERE WORST AFFECTED WERE RUDRAPRAYAG, CHAMOLI, UTTARKASHI AND PITHORAGARH. THE DELUGE HAS WASHED AWAY ROADS, BRIDGES AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE. SO FAR ABOUT 1000 DEATHS ARE REPORTED AND MANY ARE STILL REPORTED MISSING. IN KEDARNATH ALONE ABOUT 75,000 PILGRIMS HAD BEEN STRANDED DUE TO LANDSLIDES AND FLASH FLOODS. IN VIEW OF THE DEVASTATING IMPACT OF THE HEAVY RAIN FALL IN THE STATE OF UTTARAKHAND, SECRETARY GENERAL, INDIAN RED CROSS SOCIETY (IRCS) HELD A MEETING ON 18TH JUNE 2013 IN HIS OFFICE WITH THE SENIOR OFFICIALS FROM IRCS NHQ, IFRC AND ICRC.
THE INDIAN RED CROSS SOCIETY (NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS) MOUNTED AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO THE DISASTER BY DEPLOYING RELIEF AND ASSESSMENT TEAMS TO DEHRADUN, UTTARKASHI, RISHIKESH, PITHORAGARH AND RUDRAPRAYAG. SHRI GULAM NABI AZAD, HON’BLE CHAIRMAN, IRCS (THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE) FLAGGED OFF THE TRUCKS CARRYING RELIEF MATERIALS FOR THE FLOOD AFFECTED VICTIMS ON 21ST OF JUNE 2013.
RELIEF MATERIALS IN THE FORM OF NONFOOD ITEMS HAS BEEN DESPATCHED TO THE UTTARAKHAND STATE BRANCH BY ROAD FOR FURTHER DISTRIBUTION TO THE AFFECTED AREAS. TILL DATE MORE THAN INR 2.2 CRORES WORTH OF RELIEF ITEMS HAS BEEN SENT.
UTTARAKHAND, A STATE IN THE NORTHERN PART OF INDIA RECEIVES LARGE NUMBER OF PILGRIMS DURING THE MONTHS OF JUNE AND JULY SINCE IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT HINDU PILGRIMAGE SITE, DUE TO THE MANY HOLY HINDU TEMPLES AND PILGRIMAGE CENTRES FOUND THROUGHOUT THE STATE. IT ALSO ATTRACTS LARGE NUMBER OF TOURISTS AS IT IS A HILL STATE AND HOME TO MANY HOLIDAY RETREATS.
ACCORDING TO THE INDIAN METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, RAINFALL IN UTTARAKHAND DURING THE WEEK OF 20TH TO 26TH JUNE 2013 HAS BEEN IN EXCESS BY 37 PER CENT OF NORMAL RAINFALL. DURING THIS PERIOD, THE STATE RECEIVED 73.3 CENTIMETERS OF RAIN WHILE THE NORMAL RAINFALL IS USUALLY 53.6 CENTIMETERS. THE HEAVY RAINS IN THE REGION HAVE LED TO EXTENSIVE FLOODING, LANDSLIDES AND DESTRUCTION TO PROPERTY AND LIVES.
MANY AREAS ARE STILL NOT ACCESSIBLE AND HENCE THE EXACT DEATH TOLL IS DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE. HOWEVER, LOOKING AT THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE, THE DEATH TOLL IS LIKELY TO BE HIGHER THAN WHAT INDIA HAS EVER SEEN DURING A DISASTER. EVERY DAY, BODIES OF DECEASED ARE BEING RECOVERED BY THE RELIEF AGENCIES FROM THE FLOODED AREAS AND THE MUD SLIDES THAT ARE SPREAD OVER VAST AREAS OF THE HILL STATE.
THE INDIAN ARMY, INDIAN AIR FORCE, THE INDO TIBETAN BORDER FORCE AND PARA¬MILITARY TROOPERS, HAVE CARRIED OUT THE BIGGEST EVER RELIEF AND RESCUE OPERATION IN LIVING MEMORY, WHILE THE NATIONAL AND STATE DISASTER MANAGEMENT TEAMS JOINED HANDS TO HELP THE PEOPLE WHO WERE STRANDED IN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STATE. A SLIGHT INTENSITY EARTHQUAKE OF 3.5 MAGNITUDE ON THE RICHTER SCALE WAS EXPERIENCED IN PITHORAGARH, UTTARAKHAND ON 27TH JUNE 2013. NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGES AND CAUSALITIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED SO FAR.
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