Uttarakhand floods: Rescue operations hampered by bad weather, blocked roads

Security forces, including the Army, ITBP, PNDRF, and SDRF, are engaged in rescue operations in Uttarakhand's flood-affected regions. Flash floods have impacted steep, narrow Himalayan valleys like Dharali and Harsil. Thick mud, boulders, and debris have blocked access routes and buried areas, with roads, including the Dharali approach, broken and cutting off ground connectivity. Persistent poor weather, thick fog, and rain have severely hampered visibility, grounding helicopters and slowing foot operations. Despite the deployment of MI-17s and Chinooks, aerial rescue has been limited. NDRF teams faced delays due to cloud cover. Relief material is ready, but dense fog and rain are delaying flights. Dense cloud accumulation is expected to continue for the next two to three days, threatening more rain and making rescue operations more difficult and dangerous. The best way to ensure that all that material, relief material reaches the people who need it is air. But that is subject to weather. Since the road is completely cut off, air traffic is the only air, means are the only means to reach them.