Rudraprayag:
As rescue efforts start to wrap up in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand, the next step for the administration is to comprehensively account for the dead and missing. Rough estimates put the figure between 1800-3000. It could go even higher.
On the ground, the challenges are immense. Heading from Dehradun to Rudraprayag, we were stopped by two traffic cops just a little beyond the town of Srinagar. They asked us for a lift till Rudraprayag which we readily agreed. When we stopped on the way to shoot the landslide scarred hills, they realised we were journalists.
"Sir, from the spot where you picked us up, we just saw a headless body float away in the river," Pakesh Kumar, one of the constables from the Purvanchal Constabulory said pointing to the mighty Alaknanda river.
"But could you inform the authorities? They must recover it immediately," I said.
He hadn't as he had very weak mobile connectivity. So we offered to help. I dialled 100 and someone answered.
"Namaskar, Sir. I'm calling from NDTV. We were traveling to Rudraprayag and on the way just after Srinagar a body has been seen floating in the Alaknanda river. Please talk to Constable Pakesh Kumar who saw the body," I said, handing over the phone to Mr Kumar.
"Jai Hind, Sir. We were on traffic duty the when we saw the body. It was only a torso. Victims could be a pilgrim or local who could have got caught in the floods," Kumar said.
"Where did you see the body?" the cop at the control room asked.
"Near Shirobagad, a little ahead of Srinagar."
"Have you got the body with you?"
"No, Sir. It was floating away. "
The voice was honest and concerned. But the urgency was to send a rescue team.
"Sir, can you please help trace the body? It will help the family identify the person. We haven't seen the body ourselves but these constables saw it," I said. "We request you to send a team to retrieve the body. Since it's a death, you will need to collect the DNA. That will be crucial for the identification."
"Right. Alright. I'm informing Srinagar right away," the police control room confirmed.
Surprisingly it took us only five minutes to convince the police control room. But with many bodies, buried under debris or swept away, the government is low on time.
The tragedy has ensured many won't be able to perform the final rites but a confirmation if their loved ones are dead or still alive is imperative for closure.
It will need a super pro-active administration to do this. And many more alert Pakesh Kumars.