Himachal Floods: Women In Uniform Are At The Forefront Of Rescue Operations

On July 10, videos of a 50-year-old bridge in Kullu, Himachal—a vital link for a large hill population in Banjar town—being washed away by a furious and flooding Beas River went viral. Miraculously, the ancient temple of Panchvaktra survived the flood fury, giving hope to locals and stranded tourists in the state. 

Many volunteers and the authorities have swung into action and are helping in rescue and rehabilitation of the flood-affected people. Among these are women IPS officers who are going the extra mile and evacuating people from Kullu, Mandi and Lahaul-Spiti, as well as high altitude areas of Kinnaur and villages in the interiors of Sirmaur and Kangra valleys.

Satwant Atwal Trivedi, a 1996 batch officer, distinguished as the first lady IPS of Himachal Pradesh and officiating as the state’s Director General of Police (DGP), has mobilised the entire ranks of the police in rescue operations, who are working 24X7.

Sitting in the control room at the police headquarters, which she got set up within hours after the floods started wracking havoc across the region, she is organising evacuations and sending assistance. She is constantly on social media tapping the situation on the ground, ensuring quick outreach and also informing the families of the persons stranded in different rain/flood-hit areas about their safety and well-being.

“Yesterday, (July 11), we got in touch with more than 200 persons who contacted us on the dedicated helpline or took it to social media to know about the safety of their family members, relatives and friends stranded in Kullu and Mandi. Three hundred persons stranded at Chandratal (14,100 feet) was our biggest worry. We managed to reach out to them, coordinated with ground teams and also deployed helicopters for their evacuation,” she informed.

Later, to boost the morale of the force, she tweeted: “With Khaki as armour, the national emblem as our crown, we rededicate ourselves to serve the citizens (in distress). With hope for a brighter tomorrow, pray for more strength and zeal for every boot on the ground.”
Trivedi has previously served at the Border Security Force (BSF) and National Investigation Agency (NIA). Her husband Abhishek Trivedi, Additional Director General of Police (Law and order), is also supervising control room operations and coordinating with district SPs and their teams.

Two young women IPS officers, Sakshi Verma and Soumya Sambasivan, who are Superintendents of Police (SPs) at Kullu and Mandi, respectively, are going the extra mile, too. Trivedi has been posting visuals of both from the ground in which they are seen helping people living near the swollen rivers to vacate their houses.

Just a fortnight back, the SPs were involved in a crackdown on rave parties being organised in Kasol and Parvati valleys, however, as soon as tragedy marooned several villages in the state, their roles changed.

“My team from the CID (Criminal Investigation Department), who were in Kasol for crackdown on drug peddlers are now helping tourists stranded in home stays. They are arranging food for them and also helping them contact their families spread across different states,” informs Trivedi.

Visuals of Sambasivan wearing a raincoat and holding an umbrella and helping people to move away from the river banks and Verma helping people in flood-ravaged villages were posted on official twitter handles by the DGP.

State chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu also praised the women IPS officers who were able to establish contacts with affected families and coordinate the rescue of 400-500 tourists.

Two other IPS officers, Shalini Agnihotri, who is handling the state’s biggest district, Kangra, and Dr Akriti Sharma are actively touring the flood-affected areas and updating people round the clock about the ongoing rescue operations.

Poor road connectivity and communication networks are hampering rescue operations. The police are using satellite phones for communication and drones to supply medicines. Six helicopters have been deployed to evacuate people.

Chief Minister Sukhu is touring the areas severely hit by the flash floods. He met people and shared meals with displaced families currently stationed at the Government College in Kullu. He spent hours listening to stories of women and children who are now being rendered homeless.

Amid the crisis, which has left the hill state completely shattered and ravaged, the resolve to survive and rebuild has got stronger thanks to the swift action taken by authorities, admits Anil Kant, a senior Kullu-based Journalist, who was himself stranded at Tosh, the last mountain village of Parvati Valley. He tracked a 30-km long treacherous spiral path along the destroyed river banks to reach the nearest road and managed to return home.

“Being a weekend, hundreds of tourists—most unfamiliar to the mountains and hard climbs—were stranded in their hotels and homestays. Fortunately, all are safe. They were guided back to safer places. Locals, who have lost their homes and hotels to devastating rains and floods, were seen volunteering to help tourists,” he informed over the phone after reaching Kullu on July 11 late at night.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who travelled to Mandi, has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare floods in Himachal Pradesh as a national calamity and send across aid and help to the state.

Amid so much confusion caused because of the floods, the stories or rescue and relief operations, especially by women in uniform, have provided much-needed emotional support.

Chief Minister Sukhu praised the disaster response forces, the local administration and the police forces for their remarkable bravery and resilience during the challenging operation to rescue civilians trapped in the Beas River basin.

He tweeted: “Yesterday (July 9), they saved a total of 9 lives in Kullu, and today, in the early hours of the morning, they rescued 6 individuals in Nagwain in Mandi. The dedication and selflessness of these heroes are commendable”.

After the restoration of Manali-Kullu road (left bank) over 1,000 vehicles have been evacuated, said the police. Power supply has also been partially restored in Kullu. Teams are working round the clock to restore water supply.

As per the weather department, the state experience 200 per cent excess rainfall between July 6 and 11. Against normal rainfall of 76.6 mm, the state has received 249.6 mm rainfall.