Uttarakhand disaster: Celina Jaitly cautions against 'climate change', prays for victims

Actor Celina Jaitly on Monday expressed concerns for the safety of people affected by the flash flood in Uttarakhand after a glacier broke off at Joshimath. Jaitly stressed how 'climate change is serious' and people will have to pay the price if 'we do not get out act together'.

A part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Sunday, leading to a massive flood in the Dhauli Ganga river causing large-scale devastation. Many film personalities took to their Twitter handle to offer their prayers and share help line numbers.

Filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor, whose Sushant Singh Rajput-led romantic-drama Kedarnath was set against the backdrop of the 2013 Uttarakhand floods, prayed for the well being of people. "Devastating news. May god watch over those in the path of this monster. Hari Om. #Uttarakhand #Chamoli," the director said.

More than 150 labourers working in a power project are missing, officials said. The flood caused large-scale devastation in the upper reaches of the ecologically fragile Himalayas, with 50-100 labourers working at the Rishi Ganga power project missing. Following the glacier burst, homes along the way were swept away as the waters rushed down the mountainsides in a raging torrent. 

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There were fears of damage in human settlements downstream. Many villages were evacuated and people taken to safer areas.

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Chief Minister Trivendra Rawat informed that 176 labourers had gone for their duty in mainly 2 tunnels in the affected regions. Out of those, 30-35 labourers working in the Rishiganga project are said to be trapped inside while 16 workers trapped in the tunnel near Tapovan in Chamoli have been rescued by the ITBP jawans. In all, over 100 people are said to be missing. 

The CM has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of the deceased while the PMO has approved an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF for the next of kin. Reportedly, 14 lives have been claimed in the incident, as of now. 

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(With PTI inputs)