For those who survived Uttarkashi flash floods, physical wounds are healing, mental scars not so much

“I thought it was a prayer to the devta, but then came debris, mercilessly washing everything in its way. It was just a few metres away, and I ran and ran as much as my feet could take me, but the muck caught up with me and my legs sank into it,” said Panwar, recalling the moment flash floods wreaked havoc in the area.

Lodged at District Hospital, Uttarkashi, the only tertiary-care institute in a 100-km radius of Dharali, the 42-year-old is in the ICU, with his file mentioning the possibility of PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder. The hospital currently has 11 patients, most of them Army personnel who were caught in the way of a mudslide at their camp in Harsil. They were on their way to Dharai for rescue when it struck them. The hospital offers treatments ranging from psychiatry to orthopaedic surgery.

ABOVE THE SEA OF SILT: Operations underway at Dharali in Uttarkashi district on Saturday. PTI

“We have set aside 50 beds for the disaster victims,” said PS Pokhriyal, the medical superintendent at the hospital.

As the rescue operations continued for the fifth day, and around 60 people remained missing, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami Saturday announced assistance of Rs 5 lakh for people whose houses were completely damaged in the disaster. In addition, those who lost loved ones will also receive Rs 5 lakh.

The government has announced the formation of a three-member committee for the rehabilitation, restoration, and sustainable livelihood strengthening of disaster-affected villagers.

At the hospital, the orthopaedic ward is silent despite its nine occupants, who are being nursed back, with families more concerned about their mental health. An Army man, with his face bruised and a few bandages wrapping his arms and legs, sat outside, speaking to his mother back home in Haryana. He did not smile for the entirety of the conversation.

As Dr Priya Tyagi, the psychiatrist at the hospital, checked in on Panwar, he narrated the ordeal. “I was near the 40-room hotel that flowed away, and we did not get enough time to comprehend what was happening. The muck had filled the area, and I walked and crawled for a kilometre. Then I heard from a villager in Dharali that Harsil was also struck. I spent the night at the village where a few strangers took me in, clothed and fed me,” he said.

Dr Tyagi checked for signs of anxiety: “Do you sleep well? Are you restless? Do these images come back to you?”

Panwar said he has been experiencing sleepless nights. Prescribing Benzodiazepines to treat anxiety, Tyagi said this was an adjustment disorder, and he would get well in a few days.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Tyagi said, “I have been checking in on those who are physically affected, and they say they feel sad, confused, and shocked. It is wearing away with time, but if this persists for a month, it might manifest as depression or PTSD.”

Tyagi added that the hospital expects a wave of patients seeking psychiatric care because many who witnessed the tragedy are yet to approach them. “As Mukhba and Dharali remain cut off, we have yet to meet these patients,” she said.

Panwar tells her the vacuum created by the floods has left him wondering about his future employment prospects. “We had pooled in a lot of resources, time, and effort to bring it up, and all of it is gone. I saw floods in 2013, but this is more jarring,” he said.

A porter for the Army at their camp in Harsil, Gopal (30), was injured after their camp was also struck. “I was on leave till August 7, but got a call to join early and left for Harsil from the village on August 3. I was not supposed to be there,” he said.

Gopal was packing the bags and the ration for the entourage moving to Dharali for the rescue when, at the gate of the third camp, a tide of debris and water descended upon them. He was flushed into the river for 500 metres and, spotting a tree nearby, grabbed hold of it. “In a few minutes, our soldiers fished us out and got us admitted to the Military Infirmary. When I gained consciousness, I asked my colleagues not to inform my family,” he said. He was moved to the district hospital on August 6.

Gopal says he has been going through long, sleepless nights. The screams of officers, the roar of the water, the crash of the torrents in Bhagirathi, and the pricking and puncturing of his skin by the bark of the tree keep playing through his mind. “I could not sleep for two days. Yesterday, I did, but woke up and stayed awake till dawn. I hope this phase does not last.”