Double Trouble in Devbhoomi: Deaths from Disasters and Road Accidents Double, Yet Govt Marches Ahead with Panchayat Polls Amid Monsoon Mayhem
Dehradun, June 30, 2025
While Uttarakhand is reeling under a deadly monsoon onslaught—with floods, landslides, and road accidents claiming lives at an alarming rate—the state government and the Election Commission seem unfazed, hell-bent on going ahead with panchayat elections in July.
According to figures compiled by Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation, deaths due to natural disasters and road accidents in June 2025 have doubled compared to the same month last year.
In June 2024, 32 people lost their lives—this year, the number has spiked to 65. This includes 20 deaths due to natural calamities and 45 in road mishaps.
But it’s not just the numbers—it’s the trend that’s bloodcurdling. The month saw back-to-back tragedies:
The Rudraprayag bus accident that shook the state
A cloudburst in Uttarkashi that left trails of devastation
The Kedarnath helicopter crash that killed six pilgrims and a pilot
Shockingly, these deaths haven’t even made it to the official tallies.
At the same time, the Char Dham Yatra saw a 29% surge in pilgrim footfall—over 18.22 lakh pilgrims in just 28 days of June, up from 14.10 lakh last year.
Roads are choked, the administration is stretched thin, and yet, instead of gearing up for disaster preparedness, the government is preparing for elections.
"It is disturbing that the state sees every disaster as a one-off event, not as part of a larger pattern," said Anoop Nautiyal of the SDC Foundation, slamming the government's complacency.
Nautiyal has made a blunt appeal—Postpone the panchayat polls, which are scheduled for July 24 and 28. With more than seven crore Kanwariyas expected to descend into Uttarakhand from mid-July, the already burdened system may just crack.
He argued that politics and vote-banking shouldn’t outweigh people’s lives.
“This is not the time for campaigning and rallies. It’s the time to strengthen disaster response, clear landslide debris, restore damaged roads, and prevent more deaths,” he said.
Nautiyal has vowed to take this demand to the President of India, Governor of Uttarakhand, and even to the High Court in Nainital, if the government does not act responsibly.
The big question is—How many more must die before the government stops treating disasters as routine?
When administration is buckling under pressure, is it fair—or even moral—to drag it into electoral duty?
If Devbhoomi keeps bleeding while politicians chase ballots, it’s not just nature that’s wreaking havoc—it’s policy failure too.
#UttarakhandInCrisis #DisasterPolitics #MonsoonDeaths #ElectionVsLife #DevbhoomiBleeds
