Assured Rs 5 lakh, got Rs 5,000: Uttarkashi flood-hit families protest over 'relief' cheques
Uttarkashi: Residents of Dharali village in Uttarkashi district have reportedly refused government cheques of Rs5,000 each, calling them grossly inadequate after a flash flood caused extensive damage.
The cheques, described by officials as “immediate relief,” were distributed to affected families in Dharali and Harshil, but triggered protests against the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led government, as reported by India Today on Sunday.
District Magistrate Prashant Arya said the amount was an interim measure, with proper compensation to be decided after damage assessment.
Chief Minister Dhami has announced Rs 5 lakh for families whose houses were destroyed and for the next of kin of those killed. A three-member panel led by the Revenue Secretary will submit a preliminary rehabilitation and livelihood plan within a week.
According to officials quoted in the report, the tragedy has left five confirmed dead, two bodies recovered, and 49 people missing. "The priority of the government is to evacuate all trapped people, which is nearly complete," Dhami had said, adding that restoration of electricity, mobile networks, and roads is underway, with community kitchens supplying essentials to survivors.
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Chlorine gas leaks at defunct water purification plant in Pune; 24 persons hospitalised
Pune, Apr 30 (PTI): At least 22 residents and two firemen were hospitalised after a chlorine gas leakage at Kondhwa in Pune after midnight on Thursday, fire officials said.
The leak originated from an abandoned tank containing chlorine at a defunct water purification plant godown in the Gangadham area around 1 am, they said.
"Following the leak and the subsequent spread of gas, residents in the vicinity complained of breathlessness. Upon receiving the call, fire teams were dispatched. Several citizens were evacuated, and the leaking tank was patched using safety equipment," a fire official said.
During the operation, 22 residents and two fire personnel complained of breathlessness and were rushed to the hospital, he said.
A man who previously operated the water purification plant at the site said he had dismantled the unit, but the tank containing chlorine appeared to have remained unattended and developed a leak.
"All the affected residents and the two fire personnel are out of danger and currently under observation at Sassoon General Hospital," the official said.
