SDC Foundation has asked Dhami to declare other missing persons as dead as well.
Dehradun/Shimla:
In a humane and precedent-setting move, the Pushkar Singh Dhami government in Uttarakhand has declared all missing persons in the Dharali (Uttarkashi) disaster as deceased — paving the way for their families to receive long-pending compensation and closure.
The decision, widely hailed by social and environmental groups, has also triggered calls for Himachal Pradesh to adopt a similar approach for its own disaster-affected families still waiting for justice.
According to data compiled by Himbu Mail, over 370 people have gone missing in various flash floods, cloudbursts, and landslides across Himachal Pradesh since 2023 — with many families still caught in the legal limbo of waiting seven years for their loved ones to be officially declared dead, as required under Section 108 of the Indian Evidence Act.
Dehradun-based SDC Foundation has welcomed the Uttarakhand government’s decision and urged Chief Minister Dhami to extend the same process to all disasters that occurred in the state between January 1, 2018, and September 30, 2025. Founder Anoop Nautiyal described the decision as “humane, sensitive, and pragmatic,” emphasizing that it brings long-overdue relief to families living in “prolonged uncertainty and mental distress.”
“The process of issuing death certificates and providing compensation will serve as a major relief for families who have so far been unable to receive assistance due to legal and administrative complexities,” Nautiyal said in a letter to the Chief Minister.
He further proposed that the state should create a centralised digital registry of missing persons to ensure real-time tracking of rescue operations, relief, and rehabilitation measures.
According to him, this will not only ensure transparency but also help streamline support systems during disasters in fragile mountain regions.
Interestingly, Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has already taken up this issue at the national level.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Dharamshala last month, Sukhu had sought an amendment in the law governing missing persons in disasters so that the state government could legally provide relief and compensation to affected families without waiting for the seven-year period mandated under the Indian Evidence Act.
Nautiyal has also urged the Dhami government to make this announcement on November 9, 2025 — the Silver Jubilee of Uttarakhand’s statehood, marking it as a commitment to the dignity and welfare of disaster-hit citizens.
With both states grappling with frequent cloudbursts, landslides, and flash floods, experts say the time is ripe for a uniform national policy to fast-track relief for the missing in disasters — transforming a painful wait into timely justice for grieving families.
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