At least three valleys in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district are faced with major crises due to no road connectivity for more than two months now following numerous landslides. Darma, Chaudas and Vyas valleys lie in Dharchula town, along the China and Nepal border. There are 40 villages in the three valleys and thousands of residents are now dependent on the government for ration, but other daily essential items have become a rarity. The supply crunch has led to people buying LPG cylinders for Rs 2500-3000, according to a report in The Times of India.
“Due to the roadblocks, we are facing difficulties in going to the market to purchase daily essentials like oil, salt, pulses, toothpaste etc,” a villager told The Times of India and urged the administration to send these items through choppers if the road blockade continues for long.
While the roads in Darma have been blocked since June 20 after heavy rains and landslides, the blockade extended to Chaudas and Vyas valleys in July. The government is looking after food security through their ration godowns.
Pithoragarh’s district supply officer, MP Singh, said they have four ration repositories in Dugtu, Pangu, Sirdang and Gunji from where food grains are being distributed among the villagers. However, the limited ration will sustain the villagers only for the next two months.
Several locals highlighted that while they do get ration from the government, it only contains rice and wheat, and they still struggle for other essential items. The small shops in the villages have also reportedly run out of goods.
Meanwhile, several government agencies such as Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Public Works Department and Central Public Works Department (CPWD) are working round the clock to restore road connectivity, said Additional District Magistrate Fincharam Chauhan.
The landslides have caused enormous destruction in the three valleys and the locals believe chances are slim of things going back to normal anytime soon.
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