PDNA Teams Begin Survey in Uttarakhand, 135 Dead and 90 Missing After Monsoon Disaster
Dehradun: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday launched the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) process in Uttarakhand following widespread devastation caused by this year’s monsoon. Four expert teams have been constituted to carry out detailed surveys in the affected districts.
On Wednesday, the first PDNA team reached Uttarkashi and the second team reached Chamoli, where they held meetings with the respective District Magistrates. From Thursday, the teams began extensive field visits to assess the scale of damage.
Heavy Losses During Monsoon
According to Secretary of Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Vinod Kumar Suman, excessive rainfall, landslides, and flash floods during the monsoon have caused massive destruction across the state. So far, 135 people have lost their lives, 148 have been injured, and 90 remain missing. Along with human casualties, livestock, property, agricultural land, and critical infrastructure such as roads, electricity, water supply, and residential as well as commercial buildings have been badly affected.
Four Teams for Statewide Survey
To ensure a comprehensive assessment, four PDNA teams have been deployed, comprising experts from NDMA, state government, and district administrations. Their allocation is as follows:
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Team 1: Dehradun, Haridwar, Uttarkashi, Tehri
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Team 2: Pauri, Chamoli, Rudraprayag
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Team 3: Pithoragarh, Almora, Bageshwar
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Team 4: Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital, Champawat
Each team will first hold consultations with the local District Magistrate before beginning surveys of the disaster-hit areas.
Expert Involvement
The NDMA delegation includes several senior scientists and specialists: Dr. Pradeep Kumar (Director, CBRI), Dr. Ajay Chaurasia (Principal Scientist, CBRI), Prof. Dr. Srikrishnan Shiva (IIT Roorkee), Prof. Gagandeep Singh (NIDM), Dr. Mahesh Sharma (NIDM), Dr. D.P. Kanungo (CBRI), Ashok Thakur (Senior Consultant, NDMA), Dr. Rupam Shukla (IIT Roorkee), and Ranu Chauhan (Senior Consultant, NDMA).
From the state side, experts such as Dr. Shantanu Sarkar (Director, ULMMC) and Dr. Mohit Poonia (Principal Advisor) are part of the process. District administrations have also nominated officials from relevant departments to coordinate with the teams.
‘Build Back Better’ at the Core
Suman emphasized that the PDNA process will not only measure the extent of losses but also prepare a comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction plan. The report will:
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Evaluate the socio-economic impact of the disaster.
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Recommend short, medium, and long-term recovery strategies.
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Focus on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and the principle of “Build Back Better”.
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Ensure gender-sensitive and environmentally sustainable reconstruction.
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Propose policy options and institutional mechanisms for future disaster resilience.
The final PDNA report will be prepared by the Uttarakhand government and submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.
Areas of Assessment
The survey will cover social sectors (housing, education, health, nutrition, civic amenities), infrastructure (roads, bridges, power supply, water, sanitation), productive sectors (agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, forestry, livelihoods, tourism, cultural heritage), along with cross-cutting concerns such as environmental sustainability and disaster risk reduction.
