Kullu – In a dramatic rescue operation, four workers trapped in the Malana-One Hydroelectric Project in Parvati Valley have been safely rescued after being stranded for 35 hours due to a cloudburst. The rescue, which concluded on Friday morning, involved the coordinated efforts of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Home Guard rescue team, and a private rescue team.
The workers had been trapped since 10:00 pm on July 31. Although the NDRF team initially set out on August 1, challenging conditions delayed their arrival at the site. By Thursday, 29 of the 33 people initially trapped in the Malana-One project had been rescued. The remaining four were successfully brought to safety on Friday morning.
The crisis began on Wednesday night when a cloudburst led to the breaking of the dam at the Malana Power Project-One, triggering devastating floods. The floodwaters caused extensive damage, including the destruction of a government school, two temples and eight houses in Baladhi village. The rising water levels in the Parvati River also washed away the bridge.
The situation in Baladhi village was dire, with 45 people stranded for hours as the village turned into an island, surrounded by floodwaters. The group included 22 locals from eight families and 23 people of Nepalese origin. After enduring the terrifying conditions for five to six hours, the water levels finally receded enough for rescue teams to reach them and move them to safety.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of infrastructure in the region to natural disasters and underscores the need for improved disaster preparedness and response mechanisms.
