Uttarkashi villagers reject ₹5,000 flood relief, demand promised ₹5 lakh

Outrage is simmering in Dharali and Harshil after families devastated by last week’s flash flood were handed cheques of ₹5,000 each — a fraction of the ₹5 lakh in compensation earlier promised by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for those who lost their homes or kin.

Villagers, many of whom saw their houses, shops, and farms vanish under mud and water, have refused the cheques, calling the amount “an insult” to their suffering. “How can they hand us ₹5,000 when our entire lives have been washed away?” one resident asked, as protesters gathered in the heart of Dharali.

Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya defended the government’s move, saying the payments were “immediate relief” to address urgent needs. “Proper compensation will be disbursed after a full damage assessment,” he said.

The government has set up a three-member committee, led by the Revenue Secretary, to prepare a rehabilitation and livelihood revival plan, with a preliminary report expected within a week. Dhami has also promised ₹5 lakh for families of the deceased and for those whose homes were completely destroyed.

Meanwhile, rescue operations stretched into their fifth day on Saturday. Helicopters ferried out the stranded and air-dropped food to remote pockets, while State Disaster Response Force teams — aided by a dog squad and thermal imaging — searched through the wreckage in Dharali bazar, where hotels, homestays, and shops were levelled in Tuesday’s mudslide.

The flood has so far claimed at least five lives, with two bodies recovered and 49 people still missing. Over 1,000 residents have been evacuated from cut-off areas. Authorities say restoring electricity, mobile networks, and road connectivity is underway, while community kitchens supply food, clothing, and other essentials to survivors.

For the residents who have lost everything, though, the cheques were not relief — but a reminder that their fight for fair compensation has only just begun.