- Villagers in Chamoli cross landslide-hit road via excavator bucket.
- Continuous rainfall causes major blockage on Deval-Van motor road.
- Over 8,000 people affected, demand permanent road solution.
In a viral incident from Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, villagers were being transported across a landslide-hit road in the bucket of a Pokland excavator.
The unusual crossing was forced by a major landslide near Gamri Gad on the Deval-Van motor road, where continuous rainfall has repeatedly brought mud, boulders and debris crashing onto the route.
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Since they don't have any safe options to cross, villagers have resorted to travelling between one side of the road and the other using the excavator's bucket. The children, women and the elderly of the village are also being shuttled in the machinery.
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The danger gets significantly worse in heavy rain, as new debris keeps falling from above on the slope. A few vehicles are also believed to be stuck in the mire.
The roadblock is inconveniencing over 8,000 people in the villages beyond Gamri Gad who rely on the road to reach the valley's base town, Deval, for their groceries, shopping, medication and work.
The locals have termed the excavator setup very risky and warned that a sudden rock slide or a failure on the part of the equipment operator could lead to a major accident.
The authorities are making an effort to clear the road, but the locals say that temporary removal of the debris from the road has not solved the repeated monsoon problem, and they demand a sustainable and permanent solution from the officials concerned.