For 45-year-old Dinesh Jamloki, the sound of thunder, especially at night, is very scary.
"The thunder as well as the flash of lightning bring before me the gory picture of the September 14 cloudburst which destroyed my family and my home," said Jamloki. He lost his wife and two children in the natural disaster that struck the Ukhimath area of the hilly Rudraprayag district, killing 47 people, with 23 still missing. The death toll is expected to rise further.
On Sunday, a series of cloudbursts, coupled with heavy landslides in parts of Rudraprayag, claimed another nine lives as incessant rains continued in the state. In other hill districts, the picture was no different as cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods struck terror in the hill state this monsoon season, causing huge loss of life and destruction of roads and bridges.
In less than two months, over 100 people have been killed in a series of cloudbursts that has created havoc in parts of the state, giving a tough time to the fund-starved state government. "As we are facing a financial problem, we have to rely on the Centre for financial assistance for such calamities," said a top government official.
Such disasters take away the focus from developmental issues, lamented the official. Tourism has also been hit badly due to rains, have which triggered landslides, blocking highways leading to the shrines of Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri and Kedarnath.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to visit the affected areas on September 18 and might recommend a financial package for the state.
In the latest incident at Jokholi, the administration is finding it an uphill task to provide succour to the victims. "We have to deal with a series of natural calamities now. It is becoming very tough to deal with the situation," admits Neeraj Kherwal, district magistrate, Rudraprayag.
Last month, 28 people lost their lives and four went missing in Uttarkashi district following cloudbursts and flash-floods.
