Uttarkashi cloudburst: BRO, Army complete Bailey bridge construction in Dharali, restore vital link

Uttarkashi:  The Indian Army, in coordination with the civil administration, has completed the construction of a Bailey bridge in Limchigad, restoring connectivity after the original bridge was washed away in the August 5 cloudburst in Uttarkashi’s Dharali.

Following the destruction of the Limchigad bridge, transportation in the region came to a standstill, prompting urgent restoration efforts.

Teams from the police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), engineers, and other rescue units, along with the Indian Army’s engineering wing from the Bengal Engineers Group (BEG), worked round the clock despite heavy rainfall to restore connectivity through the bridge.

Search, medical, and communication teams also joined the mission, culminating in the completion of the 90-foot Bailey bridge at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and Army engineers carried out the construction. Located on the Gangotri National Highway, the new bridge spans the Limchigad between Gangnani and Dharali, with a load capacity of nearly 50 tonnes, significantly boosting relief and rescue operations in the challenging Himalayan terrain.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, in a post on X, stated, “The construction work of the Bailey Bridge at Limchigad has been completed, and the bridge has been opened for traffic. Now, through this bridge, not only are relief materials and machinery being sent forward quickly, but the movement of local people has also resumed smoothly. In this difficult time of disaster, our government is working with full commitment to normalise public life.”

Authorities are simultaneously working on clearing blockages along the highway at Songad, Dabrani, Harsil, and Dharali at a rapid pace.

However, heavy rain is hindering helicopter evacuations of stranded individuals.

Since the start of evacuation operations on Wednesday, 1273 people have been airlifted by Sunday evening from Dharali and Harsil.

–IANS