Uttarakhand: DoT coordinates joint effort to swiftly restore critical telecom services in Uttarkashi's disaster-hit Bhatwadi-Gangotri region

New Delhi [India], August (ANI): The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), State Coordination Unit, Dehradun, UP (West) LSA, has successfully restored critical telecom connectivity in the Bhatwadi-Gangotri region of Uttarkashi district after a devastating cloudburst near Dharali Village on August 5, 2025, according to official statement from Ministry of Communications.
The disaster caused the Kheer Ganga River to swell suddenly, resulting in widespread destruction and complete disruption of telecom services in the Bhatwadi-Gangotri region. Two telecom towers at Dharali were completely flushed out, while 27 others went down due to multiple fibre cuts and power outages.
According to the release, acting with urgency, DoT worked in close coordination with all Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), Infrastructure Providers (IPs), the Uttarakhand State Government, Army, ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, and the disaster management wing of DoT HQ to restore services.
In the initial phase, the Bhatwadi-Dharali fibre link was restored using Army-supplied Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) and additional cables airlifted from Uttarkashi and Dehradun. Two RJIO towers were installed at the ITBP Camp site, Dharali, and Mukhawa to re-establish coverage in Dharali and nearby areas.
Despite adverse weather and difficult terrain, field teams and equipment were mobilised via helicopter, and local transport was arranged for last-mile delivery. In the next phase, the Dharali-Gangotri fibre link was restored, enabling complete coverage across the region, as per the release.
Twenty-six towers have been restored and are now operational. These towers, along with temporary towers in Dharali and Mukhawa, are providing essential connectivity in the disaster-affected region.
To ensure uninterrupted service, Intra Circle Roaming (ICR) arrangements were implemented, allowing subscribers to connect to the strongest available network in the region.

This collaborative effort among DoT, TSPs, IPs, Uttarakhand State Government, and multiple agencies ensured the timely and rapid restoration of communication lines -- vital for both affected residents as well as personnel engaged in relief and rescue operations.
The DoT Uttarakhand Unit, in coordination with telecom operators, took prompt steps to restore telecom services in the disaster-affected area despite challenging conditions.
Intra Circle Roaming (ICR) is a telecom arrangement where a mobile subscriber connects to another operator's network within the same telecom circle (region). This allows users to access mobile services even if their own operator has no coverage in that specific area. It plays a critical role during natural disasters when mobile infrastructure is damaged.
During the time of disaster, if mobile infrastructure is damaged in a region, DoT issues instructions to Telecom Service Operators to implement ICR. (ANI)