State scan: Repeated disasters in Uttarakhand have a human touch

Over the years, thousands of people in Dehradun and other cities and towns in the plains have encroached upon the riverbeds

Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar, who recently travelled extensively in the disaster-hit Kumaon region to oversee rescue operations after the floods, has given vital pieces of information.

He said a catastrophe was averted by the evacuation of the people from flood-ravaged areas.

“We evacuated nearly 48,000 people from various flood-hit areas. Of them, nearly 50 per cent were living close to rivers and nullahs in spate,” Kumar said.

According to a report prepared by the state police, the devastation could be minimised due to the timely alert the Met gave.

“Our men, especially those serving in the