Dharamsala, July 19 – More than 40 people are confirmed dead in Garsa village in Kullu District on 17 July due to flash flood caused by cloud burst. The region has been prone to this kind of flood during the monsoon season.
In 1995, Tibetans living in the Kullu region were badly affected when a similar cloud burst raised a tributary of River Beas flowing close by the Tibetan settlement. However this time, the incident had occurred in a different location and Tibetans are reported to be free from any danger.
In a telephonic interview, the secretary of Kullu Tibetan Welfare office told the reporter that the Tibetan settlements have remained relatively safe since 1995. He also added that in the settlement near Dhobi village, due to the high vulnerability of the area to such natural disaster, many of the residents have already moved out to higher ground.
Flood control measures around that area were effectively taken in 1995 by the Indian government soon after the incident, which incurred heavy loss on the residents.
Efforts to relocate some of the highly vulnerable residents are already being carried out by the Central Tibetan Administration. For instance, the Tibetan Children’s Village School in Patlikuhl and some of the other institutions are soon going to shift to a new location.
