New Delhi: Social activists have blamed “Administrative negligence“For the death of eight workers in an avalanche that hit a Border Road Organization (Brother) Camp in Mana, Uttarakhand’s Chamoli districtlast week.
They argue that the tragedy could have been avoided if the authorities had acted in a previous warning in the Nieves Hall. In addition, they attribute the growing frequency of avalanches to construction without control in vulnerable areas, the PTI news agency reported.
The social worker and Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti Coensor, Atul Sati, said that “administrative negligence” led to the death of the eight workers. “There was an avalanche warning and the authorities should have acted on time.”
He added that the government’s notice for tourists in the destiny of skiing Auli was an attempt to divert the attention of people from the negligence of the State.
The establishment of geoinformatics research with headquarters in Chandigarh (DGRE) issued an avalanche warning for a 24 -hour period at 5 PM of February 27 for places located above the 2,400 meters districts, such as Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Punchoragarh and Bageshwar of Uttarakhand.
The avalanche arrived at the Border Roads (BRO) organization in Chamoli between 5.30 am and 6 am on February 28, caught 54 workers. While 46 of them were rescued alive, eight were found dead.
The Geoinformatics Defense Research (DGRE) establishment, based in Chandigarh, issued an avalanche warning at 5 in the afternoon of February 27 for high altitude locations above 2,400 meters, including Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Punchoragarh and the Bageshwar districts.
Despite this alert, the avalanche arrived at the Bro Camp between 5.30 and 6 am on February 28, leaving 54 trapped workers and 8 of them dead.
The Dehradun weather office also issued a yellow alert for February 27, two days in advance, predicting strong isolated rains and snowed in places at 3,500 meters and more. However, the state emergency operations center warned the district magistrates in question when the avalanche had already reached the camp.
“When there was a warning and the authorities knew that such a large number of workers were in Mana, why were they not advised to move to security?” Another social activist asked.
In the last four years, two housing units of Bro workers have been destroyed by avalanches only in the district of Chamoli. An avalanche in April 2021 destroyed a settlement of workers in the Niti Valley adjacent to the Indo-Tibet border, killing so many workers.
This is not the first incident of this type. In the last four years, avalanches have destroyed twice the camps of Bro workers in Chamoli. In April 2021, an avalanche in the Niti Valley destroyed a settlement of workers near the Indo-Tribet border, killing several workers.
Renowned geologist and expert in climatic movements in the Kedar Valley, Bisht parliamentarians attribute these frequent landslides to construction in the areas prone to avalanches. “Disasters are the result of this.”
He also said that the entire area is vulnerable to avalanches that remain from the nose parvat.
The social activist Mangala Kothiyal echoed these concerns, highlighting the past tragedies. “From April 22 to 23, 2021, a bro in Rimkhim in the Niti Valley area was beaten by an avalanche, killing eight workers. This time, it was the turn of the Maná Valley. The victims were once more Bro workers. We are not learning lessons from our past experiences,” he said.
Avalanches occur more during winters in the valleys of the upper region of the Himalayas, where Badrinath and Mana are located, but they can occur in any season in the snow -coated mountains.
Avalanches are common in the upper Himalayas, particularly in winter, however, they can occur in any season in the mountains dressed in snow.
While the army and paramilitary forces, as well as mountaineers continue strict security protocols, civil workers remain exposed. An example is an army camp near the accident site in Badrinath, which is evacuated during winter to avoid avalanches.
The head of Mana Village, Pitambar Molfa, said: “Previously, even the workers used to leave their container houses during winters to live in relatively safe houses in Badrinathpuri. This time it did not happen, since the authorities felt that there was not enough snow in the area.”
“The avalanche should serve as a call for attention. The permission to go to these areas must be administered only when absolutely necessary. When the weather department issues an alert, people living in these areas must be alerted,” he said.