Himachal Floods: Women in the Military Lead Rescue Operations

On July 10, footage of the Beas River ripping up a fifty-year-old bridge in Kullu, Himachal—a crucial connection for a sizable hill population in Banjar town—went viral. Fortunately, the historic temple of Panchvaktra withstood the wrath of the storm, giving residents and stranded visitors in the state hope.

The government and a large number of volunteers have sprang into action and are assisting in the rescue and rehabilitation of the flood victims. Women IPS officers who go above and above to evacuate residents of Kullu, Mandi, and Lahaul-Spiti, as well as high-altitude regions of Kinnaur and villages in the interiors of the Sirmaur and Kangra valleys, are among them.

The whole ranks of the police have been mobilized for the rescue efforts, which are ongoing 24/7, under the leadership of Satwant Atwal Trivedi, a 1996 batch officer who has the distinction of being the first woman to hold the position of Director General of Police (DGP) in Himachal Pradesh.

She set up the control center at the police headquarters within hours of the floodwaters beginning to wreak havoc in the area, and now she is organizing evacuations and dispatching aid from there. She is continuously monitoring the situation on the ground through social media, guaranteeing prompt outreach, and telling the relatives of those stuck in various flood- and rain-affected locations about their safety and well-being.

“We spoke with more than 200 people yesterday (July 11) who called the dedicated hotline or used social media to inquire on the safety of their loved ones, friends, and family members trapped in Kullu and Mandi. Our major concern was the 300 people who were trapped at Chandratal (14,100 feet). We were able to get in touch with them, work with ground personnel, and launch helicopters for their escape, she said.

Later, she tweeted: “With Khaki as armour and the national anthem as our crown, we rededicate ourselves to serve the citizens (in distress)” in an effort to raise the force’s morale. Pray for increased vigor and passion for every boot on the ground with the expectation of a better future.
Trivedi has previously worked for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Border Security Force (BSP). She is overseeing control room operations with the assistance of her husband, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Abhishek Trivedi.

Sakshi Verma and Soumya Sambasivan, two young IPS officers who serve as Superintendents of Police (SPs) in Kullu and Mandi, respectively, go above and beyond. Trivedi has been uploading pictures of the two of them working to get residents of the nearby homes near the overflowing rivers to leave their homes.

The SPs were engaged in a crackdown on rave parties being held in the Kasol and Parvati valleys only a week ago, but as soon as catastrophe stranded numerous communities in the state, their duties changed.

“My CID (Criminal Investigation Department) squad, who were in Kasol to target drug dealers, is now assisting travelers stuck in house stays. According to Trivedi, “They are providing meals for them and also assisting them in contacting their family who are dispersed throughout several states.

The DGP uploaded pictures of Sambasivan helping people get away from river banks while carrying an umbrella and Sambasivan aiding people in flood-devastated areas on their official Twitter accounts.

Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, the state’s chief minister, also commended the female IPS officers who were able to get in touch with the affected families and organize the rescue of 400–500 visitors.

Dr. Akriti Sharma and Shalini Agnihotri, two other IPS officials in charge of the state’s largest district, Kangra, are actively visiting the flood-affected regions and keeping locals informed of the ongoing rescue efforts.

Rescue activities are being hampered by poor communication and road connections. Satellite phones are used by the police for communication, while drones are used to deliver medication. For the evacuation of individuals, six helicopters have been sent.

Visiting the regions that were badly impacted by the flash floods is Chief Minister Sukhu. At the Government College in Kullu, he made friends and ate meals with displaced families. He listened to tales of women and children who are now homeless for hours on end.

According to senior Kullu-based journalist Anil Kant, who was trapped at Tosh, the final mountain village of the Parvati Valley, the resolve to survive and rebuild has grown stronger in the midst of the crisis, which has left the hill state completely shattered and devastated. To get to the closest road and make it back home, he followed a 30-kilometer dangerous spiral route around the river banks that had been wrecked.

The weekend left hundreds of visitors trapped in their hotels and homestays, many of whom were unaccustomed to the highlands and challenging treks. Fortunately, everyone is secure. They were led back to more secure locations. After arriving in Kullu late on July 11 (due to heavy rains and floods), locals who had lost their houses and hotels reported seeing locals volunteering to assist visitors.

When he arrived in Mandi, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri requested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi proclaim the floods in Himachal Pradesh a national calamity and provide relief and assistance to the state.

The accounts of rescue and relief efforts, particularly those carried out by women in uniform, have given people much-needed emotional support amid the turmoil produced by the floods.

The effort to rescue citizens stranded in the Beas River basin was difficult, and Chief Minister Sukhu commended the emergency response teams, the local government, and the police for their extraordinary courage and tenacity.

He tweeted: “Today, in the small hours of the morning, they rescued 6 people in Nagwain in Mandi. Yesterday (July 9), they saved a total of 9 lives in Kullu. These heroes deserve praise for their commitment and sacrifice.

Over 1,000 automobiles were evacuated after the left bank portion of the Manali-Kullu road’s reconstruction, according to the authorities. In Kullu, the power supply has also been largely restored. Teams are continuously trying to restore the water supply.

Between July 6 and July 11, the state received 200 percent more rain than normal, according to the weather service. The state has received 249.6 mm of rainfall compared to a typical rainfall of 76.6 mm.