Operation Surya Hope is the name given to the Indian Army Central Command to its response in Uttarakhand after the floods of North India in June 2013. Uttarakhand floods are caused by monsoon rains that are not seasonal, clouds, floods, flash floods and, perhaps, climate change that triggers lake glacier flooding (GLOFs). The humanitarian catastrophe impacted millions, stranded over 100,000 pilgrims and tourists on the Himalayan religious site, and killed several thousand people. Operation Surya Hope was conducted by the Lucknow-based Army Central Commander of India. Surya or Matahari, is the symbol of Central Command and stands out in the sign of Command formation, and the flag, which is why the Central Command chose to name the Indian Army's greatest humanitarian mission as Operation Surya Hope.
Operation Surya Hope is the successor of Operation Ganga Prahar . Operation of Surya Hope was ordered by Lieutenant General Anil Chait , Commander-in-Chief Central Command (GOC in C). He was succeeded by Lt. Gen. Rajan Bakhshi, on July 1, 2013. Bakhshi soon after taking command said that the Army will continue the relief operation and that he will soon visit Uttarakhand. More than 10,000 soldiers participated in Operation Solar Hope. This was accompanied by a response by the Indian Air Force (IAF) (Operasi Rahat), the Border Road Organization, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and other military troops under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Floods and landslides in Uttarakhand, the worst natural disaster in the region in a hundred years, has been called the Himalayan tsunami by the Government of India. According to the Ministry of Meteorology of India (IMD), the total rainfall in Uttarakhand from 1 to 18 June 2013 is 385.1 mm, which is the highest in 80 years. The normal rainfall during this period is 71.3 mm, indicating that rainfall is 440% above normal.
Video Operation Surya Hope
Early warning
India has an elaborate, multi-tier and multi-agency, complex, multi-tier and multi-agency, early warning system at both the Central and State levels. The nodal federal agencies responsible for providing EW are:
- Flood - Central Water Commission
- Avalanche Hazard - Indian Geological Survey (GSI)
- Landslide - Defense Research & amp; Development Organization (DRDO)
- Disaster Management Support (DMS) - Indian Overseas Research Organization (ISRO)
- Weather- India Metrological Department (IMD).
None of these bodies except the Indian Meteorological Department are known to have supplied EW from the Himalayan tsunami that hit Uttarakhand in June 2013. The Central Water Commission, under the Ministry of Water Resources Union made its first estimated flood for this year for Uttarakhand after the event on 18 June for Rishikesh and Haridwar. Even warnings by IMD rains and seasonal snow in the upper Himalayas, upcoming floods, and recommendations for moving people to safer places, have little to no effect. Neither the state government, which is primarily responsible for Disaster Management, or the Central Government and its agencies is paying attention to early warning. No warning or suggestion issued by the Government of the State to residents or pilgrims in the affected areas. Principal Secretary Uttarakhand Subhash Kumar dismissed IMD warnings and advisors as a routine.
Maps Operation Surya Hope
Organization
The areas of responsibility of the Central Command for humanitarian aid missions include flood-affected areas in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh states in north-west India. Northern missions stretch along the India-Tibet border, east along the Nepalese border of Nepal, and west to the western frontier of the Garhwal Division. Areas covered by missions include Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag Badrinath, Hemkund Joshimath, Harsil, Gauchar, Kedarnath Kedarghati, Rajakhet, KotiTehri, GauriKund, in Garhwal Division, and Dharchula, and Pithoragarh district, in Kumaon Division.
Disaster management and disaster preparedness
The responsibility for Disaster Management in the Indian federal system is from the State Government. The national government plays a 'supporting role'. The 'nodal Ministry' in the central government for natural disaster management, is the Ministry of the Interior (MHA). In MHA this function is removed by the Disaster Management Division (DM Division). When "severe natural disasters" occur, the Central Government is responsible for providing assistance and assistance to affected countries, which may be required, including deployment, at the request of the State, of the Armed Forces, Paramilitary Forces, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and such communications, air and other assets, as available and necessary. The central government's response is based on "gravity from natural disasters" and "scale of rescue operations".
The "Disaster Top Agency" in India, mandated by the Disaster Management Act, 2005, is the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA). The NDRF, under the NDRM consists of 12 battalions, and is organized along paramilitary lines of power. The NDRF has several rank officers, and the Director-General wore the uniform and the rank badge of a three-star army general.
Armed forces
On June 19, the day of Operation Ganga Prahar became Operation Surya Hope, and the Army's strength in the affected area was 5,600. On June 27, 2013, the number of Army in the mission area has increased to above 8,500. Military response units include infantry battalions, Army Corps units to provide Logistic and Supply support, regiment signals, engineer regiments, makeup stations and other medical units, special forces, mountain special forces, paratroopers and army aviation assets. The Army Aviation Corps deployed 13 helicopters (nine on June 19 and four additional helicopters the next day). It is the largest humanitarian mission by the Indian Army in decades.
On June 23, the total number of aircraft involved in evacuation, rescue, rescue, and search work, according to government sources, was 83 (IAF-45, Army-13, state government hired civil helicopter - 25). The helicopters run their mission in dangerous mountain conditions, often in rain and fog, in what pilots call "warlike situations". On June 24, Norman Anil Kumar Browne, the chief of the Indian Air Force, to make sure people were cut off in the mountains, by bad weather, roadblocks and floods, said "our helicopter rotor will not" Stop poking around until we get each one of you. Do not lose hope, and hang on there. "The next day, June 25, to light a high-flying dangerous flying condition, IAF Mi 17, Russian-made helicopter, flying in poor visibility, in a narrow valley, crashing into the mountainside killing all 20 people (5 IAF, 6 ITBP, and 9 NDRF personnel) The Indian Navy, too, has a small presence in the mission area, Naval Naval Command (Marcos), deployed to Rudraprayag and Rishikesh, for rescue and search missions It is unknown what tasks, if any, are done by this group.
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) mobilized 13 teams (422 total) from two NDRF battalions in six locations, as follows: five teams (174 personnel) in Rudraprayag District, three teams (89 personnel) in Haridwar area, one team (33 personnel) at Guptkashi, a team (29 personnel) at Lakshar, a team (40 personnel) at Gaurikund, a team (45 personnel) in Dehradun, and one team (12 personnel) at Jolly Grant Airport. The NDRF's mission is to assist "State Governments for search and rescue operations". The strength of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in the affected area on 20 June 13 was 600 personnel: 300 from the ITBP Ist Battalion in Joshimath area, and 300 from the 8th ITBP Battalion in Kedarnath, Gaurikund, and Gaucher.
Do
For relief and rescue operations, the Army divides the affected area into four axes, or sub-sectors: [1] Rishikesh - Uttarkashi - Harsil - Gangotri axis [2] Rudraprayag - Kedarnath axis [3] Joshimath - Badrinath axis and Dharchhula - Tawaghat axis , and [4] Pithoragarh district, in the Kumaon division. Army response plan consists of three broad phases. Stage One, June 19-20; Phase Two, 21-22 June; and Phase Three, June 23 and so on.
On June 19-20, the Army conducted reconnaissance and air evacuations against people stranded along the Govindghat-Badrinath road, the trajectory from Ghagriya to Hemkund to Badrinath and Ghagriya. On the night of June 19, the Army had evacuated 1,610 civilians in the Uttarkashi district, 3,034 in the Joshimath sector, and 1,550 from Govindghat. Protection, food and medical assistance were provided to 1,300 people in the Uttarkashi and 1,276 districts of Joshmith, while the Army medical team had treated 300 people in Joshimath, 150 in Harsil and 70 in Rudraprag. On the night of June 20, the Army reported that it had "saved more than 11,000 people, mainly from Govindghat and Harsil", and was taking refuge, feeding, and providing medical assistance to about 10,000 people. As a follow-up of air surveillance from an inaccessible area on June 19, the Army plans to conduct heliborne operations with paratroopers and special forces to rescue people stranded in Jungle Chatti, Kedarnath, and other areas. On June 20, the army opened the road to Uttarkashi, and to Sonprayag on the axis of Kedarnath. On the same day it launched a bridge across Vasuki Ganga between Mundkatiya and Sonprayag, and began working on a bridge over Alaknanda between Govindghat and Ghagria on the Hemkund Sahib line. On June 20, the army, beginning work on maintenance and repair, and the expansion of the helipad at Gagaria on the Hemkund Sahib shaft to make it ready to accommodate larger MI-17 helicopters to allow for faster air evacuation. After aerial surveillance on June 19, soldiers on June 21 dropped paratroopers at Rudraprayag-Kedarnath, Jungle Chatti, and others in accessible areas to establish contacts with stranded pilgrims and begin relief and evacuation operations. At the same time, he founded "an air-heli shuttle service between Jungle Chatti and Gaurikund". Eventually 1,000 people were rescued from Jungle Chatti. On June 21-22, ground army troops moved to Sonprayag and Kedarnath, to build the infrastructure to receive, move, assist, care and hold people affected.
On June 23, the third phase of the military began. Third phase priorities include relief, rescue, search and evacuation operations. The Army works to secure, mark, and improve the helipad; repair and install bridges; improve and restore tracks; building a staging area, transit area, receiving center, medical aid post; guarding and guiding people; providing food, water, shelter, and medical assistance to the affected population, and most importantly providing through their presence, example, and leadership, hope, and encouragement to the stranded population. The steel foot bridge in Alaknanda at Lambagar in Badrinath Valley, by military engineers, is being built, on June 26, 13, to facilitate cross-river evacuation. On June 26, Surya Hope has sent 24 tons of food, fuel, medicine, blankets and relief materials and evacuated 33,000 people, including 2,715 by thirteen Army Aviation Corps helicopters, which recorded more than 600 surprise attacks. Special forces trained in search, rescue, and high-altitude help work, including paratroopers and heli-flown troops, are deployed for search and rescue missions on the Kedarnath and Badrinath shafts, along Arva Tal on the Gangotri - Mana shaft, and at Pindari Glacier , and Sunder Dunga Glacier in the Kumaon area, to search for, rescue, and help, stranded civilians.
Medical assistance forms an important component of the mission. Doctors from the Army Medical Corps (AMC), and nurses from the Military Nursing Service are among the major elements to be deployed in the area. On June 19 it was reported that 12 independent medical teams were deployed in the area. Emergency medical assistance channels are opened, and military communication channels are given to affected people to talk to their families and friends.
By June 25, the power of 'independent' military medical posts, reportedly, had risen to 29. The Accident and Emergency Services Medical Center was established at Joshimath Helipad. These medical posts are manned by Army doctors, nurses, and para-medics. Medical camps are reportedly ready in Gothi, Dharchula, Gauridham, Tijam, and Military Hospital in Pithoragarh, opened to civilian casualties along the Pithoragarh - Dharchula - Tawaghat axis. Thousands of patients are given medical treatment at this facility every day. In addition, the IAF deployed the Air Force Rapport Action Team, with air stations, and detachments. On June 26, a team of two psychiatrists from the Army Medical Corps (AMC) opened a post-disaster and trauma counseling center in the Joshimath sector to provide counseling to civilians stranded in Badrinath and Kedarnath. The same day team of the Veterinary Corps The army consisting of veterinarians and two paramedics was entered by helicopter to establish Animal Aid Post along the Hemkund axis to care for horses and mules stranded in the area. A similar aid post was planned for Gauri Kund.
In addition to humanitarian operations in the high Himalayas, the Central Command conducts rescue, relief and assistance missions in flood-stricken areas in Uttar Pradesh. Six columns of humanity The army was deployed on June 20 to cover the Pilibhit, Muzaffarnagar, Laksar and Amroha districts of Uttar Pradesh. Two columns are deployed for missions in Saharanpur and Bijnor districts. On the plains, the army helped the evacuation of people affected by the floods, and the construction of anti-flood dams.
Appraisal
The Government of Uttarakhand, and Vijay Bahuguna, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, have been blamed for ignoring the meteorological department's warning, failing to issue timely evacuation advice, for being unprepared, for slow and disorganized responses, and poor leadership.. Some people say that it is not a natural disaster but a man makes a disaster. Chairman of the Minister Bahuguna denied that it was a man-made disaster that stated "No delay" and that "more than one lakh was evacuated without legal and order problems, so credit should be left to the government", added "I do not" Agree that it is man-made disaster. Disasters are not in our control. I can not control tsunamis, earthquakes or heavy rains. "There are allegations that the Uttarakhand government is slow in seeking military aid, and incompetent in coordinating and interacting with the military, resulting in three important days gone missing, and there is a misstep in search, rescue, and evacuation priorities.
The performance and discipline of the Army and the IAF, in response to the Humanitarian crisis in Uttarakhund, has been widely acclaimed. The performance of NDMA and NDRF, organizations flooded with funds, has been blamed. It was criticized for being heavy, inertia, laziness, slow response, unpreparedness and failure "in the first big challenge".
There is no clear calculation of the dead, wounded and missing, even two weeks after the flash floods hit the country on June 17. Until July 2, 2013, the official figures for deaths and disappearances vary from 800 to more than 10,000. Govind Singh Kunjwal, Chairman of the Uttarakhand Assembly, and NDMA's deputy chairman, Shashidhar Reddy, on July 1, estimated that "more than 10,000" were killed by the flood. The Interior Ministry's estimate of the death toll is lower at 800. Vijay Bahuguna, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, thinks the death toll will "exceed 1000". Controversially on July 1, he said, "We will never know the exact number of dead and the number of people buried or drifting." Even for the missing there are various estimates. Police Uttarakhand estimates the number of missing not more than 500. NDMA, UN agencies, and NGOs, estimates on July 2 to 'disappear' is 10,000. A week later on July 8, Vijay Bahuguna, Chief Minister, said more than 4000 people were missing, of whom 795 were from Uttarakhand, the state of his home.
On July 15, the official casualties for the disaster were 580 confirmed dead, and 5,748 missing (924, from Uttarakhand and 4,824 originating from other Indian countries). Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna confirmed that Uttarakhand did not issue a death certificate, "We only provide financial assistance to the family." The total death toll for such compensation is 6328. The state authorities have decided to treat the 'lost' as supposedly dead for compensation purposes, although the usual time lag between 'disappeared' and declared dead is seven years. The closest relatives of the dead and the 'lost' will be paid 500,000 rupees ($ 8,394). The people of Uttarakhand will be paid by the state government. Those from other states will be paid 350,000 by the central government, and 150,000, by the state government.
Timeline
June 13, 2013 : The Meteorological Department (IMD), Dehradun, estimates "heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand over the next 48 to 72 hours". The Central Government, the Uttarakhund Government, and the National Disaster Management Authority, ignored the warning.
June 14-16, 2013 : Unnecessary monsoon rains in northern India, triggering floods, and landslides, in the northwestern states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh mountains.
June 17, 2013 : Army aviation helicopters perform airborne surveillance of the city of Himalaya temple, Kedarnath. The army ordered an infantry unit to send the foot column to establish contact with the beleaguered city of the temple. The next day, early in the morning, after the night march, an infantry column, under his command reached Kedarnath. The Bareilly-based Uttar Bharat area mobilizes the base to move to Dehradun, the state capital. The Indian Army Central Command started the deployment of 5,000 troops in flood-stricken areas, in response to the so-called "Operation Ganga Prahar". The Indian Air Force Helicopter (IAF) is conducting relief and rescue missions in the Nakur area of ​​Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh and Indri Subdistrict division of Karnal, in Haryana state. IAF Sarsawa Station is designated as the center for helicopter operations. The medium lift helicopter includes the MI-17 V5, moving to the helipad of Jollygrant, Dehradun. In the afternoon, the Minister of Defense A.K. Antony, warned the Armed Forces for aid and rescue missions. Chief Minister Uttarakhand, returned from Delhi.
June 18, 2013 : Lieutenant General Navtej Singh Bawa, general superior (GOC) of Uttar Bharat, moved to Dehradun, to lead the army's disaster response and coordinate with the state government, and other agencies. The Indian Air Force's humanitarian mission, called Operasi Rahat . Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri), describes the response to the disaster that occurred. On June 15, the Inspector General, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Uttarakhand, was ordered to "contact the Principal Secretary and provide any assistance requested by the State Government"; The Border Road Organization (BRO) is required to "facilitate the restoration of road communications across different routes"; 12 additional teams from the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) were ordered to deploy to Uttarakhand, and 34 deaths were confirmed in Uttarakhund. Rudraprayag, for the next four days without a district judge and no system in place to obtain information about who died, where the injured were received and who were still trapped. No deputy collectors were stationed in Gaurikund, Sonprayag, Phata, and Guptkashi for five days
June 19, 2013 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is also Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Indian Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi, conducted an air survey of the affected areas. The PM called the situation in Uttarrakhand a 'disaster' and directed "all the Central Institutions to provide all possible assistance in their domain to the State." The names of the Army were his response to the natural disaster in Uttarakhand as Operation Surya Hope. Soldiers do the Kedarnath aerial surveillance, Jungle Chatti, and other inaccessible areas where people are stranded. The army planned the operation of paratroopers, and the formation of a helicopter bridge to save, and evacuated the stranded. Respondents in the affected areas included the Army-5500, Border Road Organization-3000, ITBP -600, National Disaster Response Team 13 teams-422, helicopters (IAF, army and civilian) 18 and C-130-1.
June 20, 2013 : Official communications from Uttarakhund Government, for army assistance reaching the Ministry of Interior. Disaster Toll: Affected district-09; death-71; Injury-53; missing-23; Life stock missing -1157; house 'completely' broken -366; house partially damaged-272; broken bridge-21; pilgrims stranded-62,122; people saved-22,392 (1295-Kedarnath, 8878 Chamoli, 7219-Uttrakashi, 2000- Tehiri, 3000-Pithoragarh).
June 21, 2013 : V.K. Duggal, a retired bureaucrat, and one of eight NDMA members with State Minister status, appointed nodal officer, to coordinate rescue, relief and assistance missions. Uttrakhand The government posted 12 officers to the affected areas as a nodal officer to coordinate the response. The officers reached their respective posts on June 22 and 23.
June 25, 2013 : An IAF Mi-17 V5 helicopter on a relief and rescue mission from Gauchar to Guptkashi and Kedarnath in the second leg of Kedarnath crashed into North Gaurikund. 20 people in it were killed. These included five IAF crew members, and 15 ITBP soldiers, among them 9 in deputies with NDRF.
June 26, 2013 : Central Command launches website to report "minute to minute" developments on Operation Surya Hope in Uttarakhand. This site provides a wise list of the locations of stranded and rescued people, and press releases (10) published by the Central Command. The government imported 25 satellite phones from Hong Kong for an unprepared NDMA, and NDRF.
28 June 13 : General Bikram Singh, Army Chief of Staff, on a visit to Gaucher, in Uttarakhand, speaking with reporters, said that Operation Surya Hope is "aid to civilian authorities", to "strengthen hands civil administration ". The army insisted that all those who were stranded in Kedarnath had been evacuated, and that the road to Badrinath was open.
June 30, 2013 : The Ministry of Defense Reform noted that the IAF from 17 to 30 June 2013, has flown 18,424 people, in 2,137 sorties, and delivered 3.36.930 kg of aid.
July 2, 2013 : Evacuation of all stranded pilgrims is over. The BBC described it as "one of the world's largest air rescue operations".
July 10, 2013 : Army engineers are working on a new 20 km route to restore ground communications with Kedarnath, which has remained disconnected since June 16. The predecessor team of four officers and 21 soldiers reached Gomkara on 11 July. The alignment of the new route, which is in places over 13,000 feet, is Sonprayag-Gomkar-Dev Vishnu-Dhungaj Giri-Kedarnath.
July 15, 2013 : Officials confirm that the disaster victims were 580 people dead, and 5,748 people missing (924 from Uttarakhand and 4,824 from other Indian countries), and that a total of 108,653 people have been evacuated from the exposed to disaster by air and feet.
September 16, 2013 Subhash Kumar, Principal Secretary of Uttarakhand, issued revisions for missing persons from 5,100 to 4,120, including 421 children. The revised figures, compiled by Dehradun based Missing Persons Cell, are based on the First Information Review (FIR) review recorded in 13 state districts. The wise distribution of missing country states is: 852 from Uttarakhand (including 652 from Rudrapryag district only), 1,150 from Uttar Pradesh, 542 from Madhya Pradesh, 511 from Rajasthan, 216 from Delhi, 163 from Maharashtra, 129 from Gujarat, 112 from Haryana, 86 from Andhra Pradesh, 58 from Bihar, 40 from Jharkhand, 36 from West Bengal, 33 from Punjab, 29 from Chhattisgarh, 26 from Odisha, 14 each from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, six from Meghalaya, four from Chandigarh, three from Jammu and Kashmir, two from Kerala and each from Puducherry and Assam.
See also
- 2013 North Indian flood
- Operation Rahat
References
External links
- Central Command SuryaHope
- GoogleMap: 2013 Uttarakhand Flooding Crisis Response
- Photo Gallery
- Disaster Relief in India
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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