On 15th June 2013, while most people were watching the live streaming of disaster victims getting rescued from the Kedarnath shrine and other affected regions of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, I was stuck in Kinnaur (Himachal Pradesh) for 5 days with a dear friend Simon Valdenaire.
Kinnaur wastheworst affected districts in HP, withtheonly roads connecting Kinnaur totherest ofthecountry closed due to landslides.Theriver Sutlej was swelling and had damaged electric and water lines, cutting off power and water supplies. It was cold and was still raining. It rained for straight 3 days and nights, no relief! Finally onthemorning of 18th June, we saw some sunshine, but along with it, we could seethedestruction these rains and landslides had caused. Houses were broken, roads were beyond repair, farmlands and orchards were destroyed!
Later,thenext day, we even got electricity and television back and started seeingthewidespread destruction in other part of Himalayas. Media and state governments all overthecountry were pressurizingthelocal governments to rescue all tourists. Unfortunately, many had died and a few had gone missing, but I knew that allthesurviving tourists, including myself would be rescued very soon. We would get back to our intact homes in different parts ofthecountry, but what aboutthelocals? They had lost almost everything they had: their farmlands, their houses, cattle and loved ones!
Finally after 5 days, while we were getting rescued by one ofthehelicopters to Shimla, I looked down intothevalley and promised to myself that I would come back and work for those affected by this disaster. Simon joined too! So deep wastheimpact on our hearts that 2 months later, we were back intheHimalayas! And this time not as a tourist, but as volunteers to work for those affected!
Rest ofthestory isthecreation of Aarohana EcoSocial Developments and then reCharkha - The EcoSocial Tribe! Explained in further detail at www.recharkha.org.
A hell of an experience, starting with nature's destruction to people's rehabilitation!