HER BROTHER playing in the snow in the hills of Uttarakhand will be a picture that will stay forever with Ritu Rani, 38, older sister of Vicky Kumar, 32, who called her on video after a walk to the Bhavishya Badri temple. in Tapovan. just one day before flash floods washed away the hydroelectric project establishment office in Rishi Ganga on February 7.
From Deoband in the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, Vicky had arrived at the project site in the Raini village of Chamoli district on February 5. Two days after the flash flood, his right hand, from elbow to wrist, was recovered from the rubble. He was identified by his younger brother Amit Kumar by the burn marks on his four fingers.
Upon receiving information about the disappearance of his brother, Amit Kumar arrived in the village of Raini on 8 February. “The next day, I learned that a body part and some other bodies had been recovered from the rubble near the plant site. He was comforting the family of Rahul, a friend of Vicky, who had also died ”.
Along with other bodies, Amit Kumar also reviewed the hand recovered on February 10 and identified it as his brother’s from the burn marks and the three-layered clothing, from a jacket to underwear, on the arm.
“He was a hard worker. We worked at National Electricals, a Haridwar company, and we used to live in rented accommodation with our family. She had postponed her marriage by committing to build a pucca house for our parents in town. I was saving money for that, ”Amit Kumar told The Indian Express.
Vicky’s hand is the only body of 22 recovered so far from different locations that has been identified, said Yogendra Singh, a Bageshwar subdivision magistrate. In all, 55 bodies have been recovered, including three bodies today from the tunnel at the hydroelectric project site in Tapovan.
The Chamoli district administration handed over the body part to Amit Kumar on February 11 after extracting the DNA sample, which was cremated near Manoharpur, his ancestral village in Deoband the next day. The administration called his father, Yashpal Singh, 68, and his mother, Rajesh Devi, 67, to have Joshimath’s DNA samples taken.
Saharanpur ADM (Finance) Vinod Kumar, who has been appointed Nodal Officer by Uttar Pradesh, to coordinate with the Uttarakhand administration to locate UP’s missing, said DNA samples will be taken from Vicky’s parents for confirmation so that can receive compensation.
Ankit Kumar, Deputy Manager of Human Resources at Haridwar-based National Electricals, said four workers, including Vicky, Rahul, Sandeep and Deepak Kumar, were dispatched to check the power generators at the two project sites. “First they had to work on a site in Nandprayag. Due to a shortage of essential items there, they went to the Rishi Ganga power project site. Deepak survived probably because he belongs to the mountainous area of Pauri Garhwal and comprises the terrain. “The other three were from the plains. Sandeep is still missing. The company will provide all possible assistance to their families according to the rules, ”said Ankit Kumar.
Vicky had joined the company a few years ago, but left for health reasons and rejoined about eight months ago.
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