Indian Army canine teams deployed for search operations in Uttarkashi

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 9 (ANI): As part of the ongoing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in Harsil and Dharali areas of Uttarakhand, specialised Indian Army canine teams have been deployed to assist in search tasks in coordination with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Zevar radar, and reconnaissance radars.
The canine teams have been actively engaged in search operations for the past three days, significantly contributing to locating individuals and supporting overall rescue efforts in the challenging terrain.
A large number of supplies, rations and essential materials have been sent to the flood-affected areas in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi, an official said earlier today.
According to Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) Deepam Seth, many survivors were evacuated from the flood-affected Harsil and Dharali with the help of the Air Force and Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA).
"Due to the weather being clear this morning, many survivors have been evacuated, and a large number of supplies, rations and essential materials have been delivered through the Air Force and UCADA," DGP Seth told ANI.
He informed that rescue efforts have been intensified, and the disaster response forces were trying to evacuate locals as well.
"Rescue efforts have picked up pace at Harsil-Dharali. We are trying to evacuate the remaining passengers and locals today. That is why we started operations early this morning," the DGP added.
Under 'Operation Dharali,' the Indian Army has been victorious in its efforts to restore mobile and internet connectivity in Uttarakhand's Harsil.
The Army managed to repair an optical fibre cable, meant for Army communication, which was damaged by flash floods.
Army signalers carried out the repair work amidst ongoing rescue operations in Dharali, ensuring communication links for the area.
In a parallel effort, bridges damaged by the floods were repaired at night on Friday near Limchigad, close to Harsil, despite continuing rain. The repair work was carried out jointly by Army personnel and the civil administration to restore connectivity in the affected region.
Amid devastation caused by the cloudburst, the rescue operations are underway with the disaster response forces trying to extricate those stranded in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi.
At least five people have been reported dead, and 50 are still missing. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has been actively involved in the rescue operations, utilising state-of-the-art equipment, including a victim-locating camera and a thermal imaging camera.
Dog squads have been deployed alongside rescue personnel to search for stranded individuals.
The mobile network was restored in the disaster-hit Harsil valley. However, the landslides have disrupted the Char Dham Yatra. (ANI)