Uttarakhand: BRO Deploys Special Team To Restore Connectivity In Flash Flood-Hit Dharchula Town In Pithoragarh

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel are working to restore connectivity in the flash flood-hit Dharchula, a remote town in the border district of Pithoragarh.

In the last week of August, Dharchula witnessed unprecedented rainfall, which was accompanied by flash floods.

Major damage occurred on 30 August, when flash floods and cloud burst washed away approximately 500 meters of road in Dobat on Pithoragarh-Tawaghat National Highway, between kilometre 98 to 102, disrupting the road communication on this critical stretch of the National Highway, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Thursday (2 September).

"Responding to the emergent and critical situation, BRO has deployed a special Team from Project Hirak to undertake immediate rehabilitation works and clear the blockages at the earliest. Presently, a Task Force of 80 BRO personnel along with a number of excavators and JCBs are working 24x7 to restore connectivity at the earliest," the ministry said.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited Dharchula on 1 September to review rehabilitation works.

Task Force Commander of BRO at Dharchula briefed the Chief Minister about the breaches on Pithoragarh-Tawaghat Road and rehabilitation work that is being undertaken by BRO, the ministry said.

"In the meantime, BRO has already constructed foot tracks in the damaged stretches facilitating the movement of pedestrians. Humanitarian assistance was provided to the locals by provisioning food packets by BRO. Despite challenging conditions, hard work is being put in by all ranks of BRO on ground to ensure opening of the road axis at the earliest," the ministry added.