Uttarakhand tragedy: No danger of downstream flooding, rise in water level contained, says Home Minister Amit Shah

Amit Shah said that an NTCP's hydropower project has been damaged in the flash flood. However, there is no danger now and the water level has decreased. Shah stated that the efforts are on to save the people who are trapped in the tunnel, and the administration is working to find the missing people.

File Photos (PTI)

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday (February 9, 2021) said that there is no danger of downstream flooding in Uttarakhand and that the rise in water level has been contained.

Amit Shah apprised Rajya Sabha about the avalanche in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand and said that these inputs were based on the information received till Monday 5 pm from the state government.

"It is observed from the satellite data (Planet Lab) of February 7, 2021, in the catchment of Rishi Ganga river at the terminus of the glacier at an altitude of 5600m a landslide triggered a snow avalanche covering approximately 14 sq Km area and causing a flash flood in the downstream of Rishi Ganga river," Shah said.

Shah said that the Centre is monitoring the situation and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also taken cognizance on the day of the incident. 

My statement in Rajya Sabha over avalanche in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. https://t.co/mJx34YSEk3

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 9, 2021

He informed the upper house that an NTCP's hydropower project has been damaged in the flash flood. However, there is no danger now and the water level has decreased.

Shah stated that the efforts are on to save the people who are trapped in the tunnel, and the administration is working to find the missing people.

The Union Home Minister said that five teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 8 teams of the Indian Army, one medical team, two ambulance teams, Indian Navy dive team, Air Force and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) are on the spot.

He said in the financial year 2020-21, Rs 1041 crore has been allocated to Uttarakhand under the State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF) and the first instalment of the central share amounting to Rs 468.50 crore has been released to the State Government.

(With inputs from PTI news agency)