Operation Surya Hope

Operation Surya Hope is the name that Indian Army’s Central Command gave to its response in Uttarakhand following the June 2013 North India floods. The Uttarkhand flood was caused by record unseasonal monsoon rains, cloud burst, floods, flash floods, and, possibly, climate change induced glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs). The humanitarian disaster affected millions, stranded over 100,000 pilgrims and tourist in Himalayan  religious sites, and killed several thousand people.

Operation Surya Hope was conducted by Indian Army's Lucknow based Central Command. Surya or Sun, is the emblem of the Central Command, and features prominently on the Command's formation sign, and flag, which is probably why Central Command chose to name Indian Army's largest ever humanitarian mission as Operation Surya Hope. Operation Surya Hope is a successor to Operation Ganga Prahar. Operation Surya Hope was commanded by Lieutenant General Anil Chait, General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC in C) Central Command. He was succeeded by Lieutenant General Rajan Bakhshi, on 1 July 2013. Bakhshi soon after assuming command said that the Army will continue with the relief operations and that he would soon visit Uttarakhand. Over 10,000 troops participated in Operation Surya Hope. It was conducted in tandem with the response by Indian Air Force (IAF) (Operation Rahat), the Border Road Organization, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and other para military forces under the Ministry of Home.

The floods and landslides in Uttarakhund, the worst natural disaster in the area in a hundred years, has been called a Himalayan Tsunami by the Government of India. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the total rainfall in Uttarakhand in the period from 1 to 18 June 2013 was 385.1 mm, which was the highest in the last 80 years. The normal rainfall during this period is 71.3 mm, indicating that rainfall was 440% above the normal.

Early Warning (EW)
India has an elaborate multi-tier and multi-agency natural disaster and flood EW system,  both at the Central and the State levels. Federal nodal agencies responsible for providing EW are : [a] Floods -Central Water Commission [b] Landslide hazard – Geological Survey of India (GSI) [c] Avalanche – Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO)  [d] Disaster Management Support (DMS) – Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), and  [e] Weather- Indian Metrological Department (IMD). None of the these agencies except the Indian Meteorological Department is known to have provided EW of the Himalayan Tsunami that struck Uttarakhand in June 2013. The Central Water Commission, under the Union Ministry of Water Resources,  which has a dysfunctional web sites,  made its first flood forecast for the year for Uttarakhand after the event on 18 June for Rishikesh and Haridwar. Even the warning by the IMD of unseasonal rain and snow in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, the impending floods, and the recommendation to move people to safer places,   had little effect. Neither the State government, which is primarily responsible for Disaster Management,  or the Central Government and its various agencies paid attention to the early warning. No warning or advisory was issued by the State Government to the resident of affected areas or the more vulnerable pilgrims in their tens of thousands in the path of the Uttarakhand Tsunami. Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar dismissed the IMD warning and advisory as routine.

Disaster Management and Disaster Preparedness
The responsibility for Disaster Management in India’s federal system is that of the State Government. The national government plays a ‘supporting role’. The ‘nodal Ministry’ in the central government for management of natural disasters, is the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). In the MHA this function is discharged by the Disaster Management Division (DM Division). When ‘ calamities of severe nature’ such as the natural disaster in Uttarakhand occur, the Central Government is responsible for providing aid and assistance to the affected state,   as may be needed, including the deploying, at the State’s request,   of Armed Forces, Central Paramilitary Forces,  National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and such communication, air and other assets, as are available and needed. The response of the central government is based on ‘gravity of a natural calamity’ and the ‘scale of the relief operation'.

The “apex Body for Disaster Management" in India, mandated by the Disaster Management Act, 2005, is the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).  The Chairman of the NDMA is  Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,  and the Vice Chairman is Shashidhar Reddy.  Shashidhar Reddy, who has been with the NDMA since 2005,  is the son of a former congress Party Chief Minister of India,   and has the rank and status of a cabinet minister.    Under the Vice chairman are eight members, all superannuated officials, who have the status, pay, and entitlements of  ministers of state. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is a force of 12 battalions, under the NDMA. It is organized on paramilitary lines,   and is manned by persons on deputation from the para-military forces of India. Till 31 May 13, it was headed by P. M. Nair, formerly from the Bihar police and the Central Reserve Police Force. From 1–25 June, Ajay Chadha, a Police officer from Delhi police,  and a former special secretary in Ministry of Home,  was both Director General (DG)  ITBP and the DG NDRF. Following criticism of the leadership vacuum in NDRF, the MHA, on 25 June 13, appointed Krishna Chaudhary,  a police officer from the Bihar Police,  as ‘full-time’ DG of the NDRF. NDRF has several flag rank officers, and its Director General wears the uniform and badges of rank of an army three star general.

Organizations
The areas of responsibility of Central Command for the humanitarian assistance mission includes   flood affected areas in the north western Indian states of  Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. The mission boundary in the north runs along the India-Tibet border, in the east along the India Nepal border, and in the west up to the western boundary of the Garhwal Division. The areas covered by the mission included Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag  Badrinath, Hemkund Joshimath, Harsil, Gauchar, Kedarnath  Kedarghati,  Rajakhet,   KotiTehri, GauriKund, in the Garhwal Division, and   Dharchula, and Pithoragarh district, in the Kumaon Division.

Armed Forces


On 19 June, the day Operation Ganga Prahar, became Operation Surya Hope, the strength of the army in the affected area was 5600. By 27 June 13, the army's numbers in the mission area had increased to above 8500. Army's disaster response units included infantry battalions, signals regiment, engineer regiments,  advance dressing stations and other medical units, logistic and supply assets,  special forces,  specialized mountain troops,  paratroopers, and army aviation corps assets. The Army Aviation Corps deployed 13 helicopters ( nine on 19 June, an additional four the next day). This is the largest humanitarian mission by the Indian army in several decades.

By 23 June, the total number of aircraft involved in the evacuation, relief, rescue, and search tasks, according to government sources, was 83 (IAF-45, Army-13, state government hired civil helicopters- 25). The helicopters carried out their mission in hazardous mountain conditions, often in rain and fog, in what one pilot called ' war like situation'. On 24 June, Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, the Chief of the Indian Air-force to assure the people cut off in the mountains,  by the bad weather, road blocks, and the floods,    said   “Our helicopter rotors will not stop churning till such time we get each one of you out. Do not lose hope, and hang in there.” The next day, 25 June, to high light the hazardous conditions of flying, an IAF Mi 17, Russian built helicopter, flying in poor visibility, in a narrow valley,    crashed in to the mountain side killing all 20 on board ( 5 IAF, 6 ITBP, and 9 NDRF personnel). The Indian Navy's, too, had a small presence in the mission area. The Navy's marine commandos(Marcos), were deployed to Rudraprayag, and Rishikesh,   for rescue and search missions. It is not known, what task, if any, was performed by this group.

Ministry of Home Forces(MHA)
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deployed 13 teams( a total of 422 persons),  from two NDRF Battalions,  in six locations, as follows: Five teams (174 personnel) in Rudraprayag District, three teams (89 personnel) in area Haridwar, one team (33 personnel)in Guptkashi, one team (29 personnel) in Lakshar, one team (40 personnel) in Gaurikund, one team (45 personnel) in Dehradun, and one team (12 personnel)at Jolly Grant Airport. The NDRF mission was to assist the "State Government for search and rescue operations". The strength of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)  in affected area as on 20 June 13 was 600 persons :  300 from the Ist ITBP Battalion, in area Joshimath,  and 300, from the 8th ITBP Battalion,  in areas Kedarnath, Gaurikund, and Gaucher.

Conduct
For relief and rescue operations, the army divided the affected areas into four axis, or sub sectors: [1] Rishikesh – Uttarkashi – Harsil – Gangotri axis [2] Rudraprayag – Kedarnath axis [3] Joshimath – Badrinath axis and Dharchhula – Tawaghat axis, and [4] Pithoragarh district, in Kumaon division. The army's response plan consisted of three broad phases. Phase One, 19–20 June; Phase Two, 21–22 June; and Phase Three, 23 June onwards.

On 19–20 June,  the army conducted reconnaissance,   and carried out air evacuation of people stranded along Govindghat-Badrinath road, track from Ghagriya to Hemkund   to Badrinath and Ghagriya. By evening 19 June,  army evacuates 1610 civilians in Uttarkashi district,  3034 in Joshimath sector,  and 1550 people from Govindghat; shelter, food and medical aid provided to 1300 in Uttarkashi area,  and 1276 in Joshmith; and Army medical teams treated 300 people in Joshimath, 150 in Harsil, and 70 in Rudraprag. By 20 June evening the army reported that it had 'rescued more than 11000 people, mainly from Govindghat and Harsil',  and was sheltering, feeding, and providing medical assistance to about 10,000. As follow up to aerial reconnaissance of inaccessible areas on 19 June, army plans heliborne operations by paratroopers and special forces to recuse stranded people, in Jungle Chatti, Kedarnath, and other areas. On 20 June the army opened the road up to Uttarkashi, and to Sonprayag on Kedarnath axis. On the same day it launched a bridge across Vasuki Ganga between Mundkatiya and Sonprayag,  and started work on the repair of the bridge over Alaknanda between Govindghat and Ghagria on Hemkund Sahib track. On 20 June, the army, started work on the maintenance and improvement, and expansion of helipad at Gagaria on Hemkund Sahib axis to make it ready to accommodate the larger MI-17 helicopter to allow for speedier aerial evacuation. Following aerial reconnaissance on 19 June, the army on 21 June drops Paratroopers in Rudraprayag-Kedarnath, Jungle Chatti, and other in accessible areas to establish contact with to stranded pilgrims and commence relief and evacuation operations. Simultaneously, it establishes "heli-bridge-air shuttle service between Jungle Chatti and Gaurikund". Eventually a 1,000 people were rescued from Jungle Chatti. On 21–22 June, the army's ground troops moved to Sonprayag and Kedarnath, to build infrastructure to receive, move,  assist, treat,  and hold the affected people.

On 23 June, army's phase three,  starts. Phase three priorities include relief, rescue, search, and evacuation operations. Army works on securing, marking, and improving helipads; repairing and installing bridges; improving and restoring tracks;   establishing staging areas, transit areas, reception centers, medical aid posts;   escorting and guiding people;   providing food, water, shelter, and medical aid to the affected population,  and most importantly providing through their presence, example, and leadership, hope,  and encouragement to the stranded population. A steel foot bridge across Alaknanda at Lambagar in Badrinath Valley, by the army engineers, was under construction,  on 26 June 13,  to facilitate the cross river evacuation. As on (26 June 13) Surya Hope delivered 24 tons of food, fuel, medicines, blankets and relief material and evacuated 33,000,  including 2715 by thirteen helicopters of the Army Aviation Corps,  which clocked over 600 sorties. Special troops, trained in high altitude search, rescue, and relief work,including paratroopers, and heli-borne troops were deployed on search and rescue missions in the Kedarnath and Badrinath axis, along Arva Tal on Gangotri – Mana axis,  and in the Pindari Glacier,   and Sunder Dunga Glacier in Kumaon region, to search, rescue, and assist,   stranded civilians.

Medical aid formed an important component of the mission. Doctors from  Army Medical Corps(AMC),  and nurses from the Military Nursing Service   were amongst the lead elements to be deployed in the area. By 19 June,  it was reported,   12 self-sufficient medical teams were deployed in the area. An emergency medical helpline was opened, and military communication channels were provided to affected people to speak with their families and friends. By 25 June the strength of ‘self sufficient’ military medical posts, it was reported,  had increased to 29. A ‘Accident and Emergency Services Medical Centre’ was established at Joshimath Helipad. These medical post were manned by army doctors, nurses, and para-medics. Medical camps were reported ready at Gothi, Dharchula, Gauridham, Tijam, and the Military Hospital at Pithoragarh, was opened for civilian casualties along the Pithoragarh – Dharchula - Tawaghat axis. Thousands of patients were rendered medical attention at these facilities daily. In addition the IAF deployed Air Force Rapid Action Medical Teams, with the air stations, and detachments. On 26 June 13, A team of two psychiatrists from Army Medical Corps(AMC), opened a post disaster and trauma counseling center in the Joshimath sector, to provide counseling to the civil population stranded at Badrinath and Kedarnath. On 26 June 13, veterinary teams from the Army Veterinary Corps consisting of a veterinary doctor and two paramedics were inducted by helicopter to establish Animal Aid Posts along the Hemkund axis to take care of ponies and mules stranded in the area. Similar aid post were planned for Gauri Kund.

In addition to humanitarian operations in the high Himalayas, Central Command, carried out rescue, relief, and assistance missions in the flood affected areas in the plains, in Uttar Pradesh. Six army humanitarian columns were deployed, on 20 June, 13,  to cover  Pilibhit, Muzaffarnagar, Laksar and Amroha, districts,  in Uttar Pradesh. Two columns were deployed for missions in Saharanpur and Bijnor districts. In the plains the army assisted with evacuation of flood affected persons, and construction of anti-flood bunds.

Appraisal
The Government of Uttarakhand, and Vijay Bahuguna, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, have been blamed for not taking heed of the meteorological departments warning,  failing to issue timely evacuation advisory,  for being ill-prepared, for tardy and disorganized response, and poor leadership. Some have suggested that it was not a natural disaster but a man made disaster. Chief Minister Bahuguna denied that it was a man made disaster stating that "There was no delay"   and that "more than a lakh people were evacuated without any law and order problem, so credit should go to the government", adding  "I don't agree that it is a man-made disaster. Calamities are not in our control. I cannot control tsunami, earthquake or cloudburst." There have been allegation that the Uttarakund government was slow in seeking military's assistance, and inept in coordinating and interfacing with the military. As a result three crucial days were lost, and there were missteps in the search, rescue,  and evacuation priorities.

The army's and the IAF's performance and discipline, in the response to the Humanitarian crisis in Uttarakhund, has been widely applauded. The performance of the NDMA and the NDRF, organizations which are flush with funds, has been faulted. It was criticized for being top heavy, inertia, sloth, tardy response,  being ill-prepared and for failing "miserably in its first major challenge".

There was no clear accounting of the dead, injured and missing, even two weeks after the flash floods struck the state on 17 June. As late as 2 July 2013, official figures for the dead and missing varied between of 800 to over 10,000. Govind Singh Kunjwal, Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker, and the NDMA's vice chairman, Shashidhar Reddy, on 1 July, estimated that " more than 10,000" were killed by the floods. The Home Ministry estimates,  of the dead was lower at 800. Vijay Bahuguna, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, thought that the death toll "will exceed 1000". Controversially on 1 July, he said,  "We will never know the exact number of the dead and the number of people buried or washed away." Even for the missing there were varied estimates. The Uttarakhand Police estimated the missing to be no more than 500. NDMA, UN agencies, and NGOs, estimates on 2 July for 'missing' was upward of 10,000. A week later on 8 July Vijay Bahuguna, the Chief Minister, said over 4000 were missing, of whom 795 were from Uttarakhand, his home state.

On 15 July,  the official toll for the disaster was 580 confirmed dead,  and 5,748 missing (924, from Uttarakhand and 4,824 are from other Indian states). The Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna confirmed that Uttarakhand was not issuing death certificates, “We are only giving some monetary help to the family.” The total fatalities for the purposes of compensation thus is 6328. The state authorities have decided to treat the ‘missing’   as presumed dead for the purposes of compensation,  even though the usual time lag between being ‘missing’  and being declared dead is seven years. The next of kin of the dead and the ‘missing’ will be paid Rupees 500,000 ($8,394). Residents of Uttarakhand will be paid by the state government. Those from other states will be paid 350, 000 by the central government, and 150,000, by the state government.

Time-line
13 June 2013: Meteorological Department (IMD), Dehradun, forecast "heavy to very heavy rainfall in the upper regions of Uttarakhand in the next 48 to 72 hours". The Central Government, Uttarakhund Government, and   National Disaster Management Authority,   ignore the warning.

14–16 June 2013: Heavy unseasonal monsoon rain in north India, trigger floods, and landslides, in the north western mountain states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand,and Himachal Pradesh.

17 June 2013: Army aviation helicopters conduct aerial reconnaissance of Himalayan temple town Kedarnath. Army orders an infantry unit to send a foot column to establish contact with the beleaguered temple town. Next day, early morning, after a night march,   an infantry column, under its Commanding Officer reaches Kedarnath. The Bareilly based Uttar Bharat Area mobilizes headquarters to move to Dehradun, the state capital. India Army's Central Command starts deployment of 5000 troops in the flood affected areas, in response named  "Operation Ganga Prahar". Indian Air Force(IAF) helicopters conducts relief and rescue missions in Nakur area, Saharanpur district, in Uttar Pradesh and Indri Sub division of Karnal district, in Haryana state. IAF station Sarsawa designated as hub for helicopter operations. Medium lift helicopters including MI -17 V5, moved to Jollygrant helipad, Dehradun. Late in the evening, Defense Minister A.K. Antony,   alerts the Armed Forces for relief and rescue mission. Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, returns from Delhi.

18 June 2013: Lt-General Navtej Singh Bawa, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) Uttar Bharat Area, moves to Dehradun, to lead the Army disaster response and coordinate with the State government, and other agencies. Indian Air Force's humanitarian mission, named Operation Rahat. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), outlines response to unfolding disaster. On 15 June, the Inspector General, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Uttarakhand,  ordered to "get in touch with Chief Secretary and provide whatever assistance was required by the State Government";   Border Road Organisation (BRO)  asked to "facilitate restoration of road communication across the different routes";  12 additional teams of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) ordered to be deployed to  Uttarakhand,  and 34 deaths confirmed in Uttarakhund. Rudraprayag For the next four days, the area was without a district magistrate no system in place to get information on who died, where the injured had been admitted and who were still trapped. . No deputy collector was posted in, Gaurikund, Sonprayag, Phata and Guptkashi for five days

19 June 2013: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is also Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Indian Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi, carry out an aerial survey of affected area. The PM calls the situation in Uttarrakhand a  'disaster' and directs "all Central Agencies to render all possible assistance in their domain to the State.” Army's names its response to the natural disaster in Uttarakhand as Operation Surya Hope.  Army carries out aerial reconnaissance of Kedarnath,  Jungle Chatti, and other inaccessible areas where people are stranded. Army plans paratroop operations, and the establishment of heli-bridge to rescue, and evacuate the stranded people. Responders in affected area include Army-5500,  Border Roads Organisation-3000, ITBP -600,  National Disaster Response Force 13 teams-422, helicopters (IAF, army and civil) 18 and C-130-1.

20 June 2013: Official communication from the Government of Uttarakhund, for army assistance reaches Home ministry. Disaster toll : Districts affected-09; deaths-71; Injured- 53; missing-23; Lives stock lost -1157; houses 'fully' damaged -366; houses partially damaged-272; bridges damaged-21;   stranded pilgrims-62,122;  persons rescued- 22,392(1295-Kedarnath,8878 Chamoli,7219-Uttrakashi,2000-  Tehiri,3000-Pithoragarh).

21 June 2013: V.K. Duggal, retired bureaucrat, and one of the eight members of the NDMA with status of Minister of State,  designated nodal officer,  to coordinate rescue, relief, and assistance mission. Uttrakhand Government posts 12 officers to disaster affected areas as nodal officers to coordinate the response. The officers reach their respective post on 22 and 23 June.

25 June 2013:IAF Mi-17 V5 helicopter on a relief and rescue mission from Gauchar to Guptkashi and Kedarnath on return leg from Kedarnath crashed North of Gaurikund. 20 persons on board killed[ five IAF crew members, and 15 ITBP soldiers, including 9 on deputation with NTRF].

26 June 2013: Central Command, launches a web site for reporting  " minute to minute" progress on Operation Surya Hope in Uttarakhand. The site provides location wise list of stranded and rescued persons, and press releases(10)  issued by Central Command. Government imports 25 satellite phones from Hong Kong for the ill-prepared NDMA, and NDRF.

28 June 13: General Bikram Singh, the Chief of the Army Staff, on a visit Gaucher, in Uttarakhand,  while speaking to journalist, says Operation Surya Hope was    “aid to civil authorities”,  to  “strengthen the hands of the civil administration”. Army confirms that all person stranded in Kedarnath had been evacuated, and that the road to Badrinath was open.

30 June 2013: Ministry of Defence update, notes that IAF from 17 -30 Jun 2013,  airlifted 18,424 persons, in 2,137 sorties,  and delivered 3,36,930 kg of relief supplies.

2 July 2013:Evacuation of all stranded pilgrim complete. BBC described it as "one of the world's largest air rescue operations".

10 July 2013: Army Engineers started work on a new 20 km route to restore land communication with Kedarnath, which has remained cut off since the 16 June. An advance team of four officers and 21 soldiers reached Gomkara on 11 July. The alignment of the new route, which in places is over 13,000 feet,  is Sonprayag-Gomkar-Dev Vishnu-Dhungaj Giri-Kedarnath.

15 July 2013: Officials confirmed that the disaster toll was 580 dead, and 5,748 missing (924, from Uttarakhand and 4,824 are from other Indian states), and that a total of 108,653 people have been evacuated from affected area by air and foot.

16 September 2013 Subhash Kumar, Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand,  issued revised  figures  for   missing  persons from 5100 to 4,120, including 421 children. The revised figures, compiled by Dehradun-based Missing Persons Cell,    are based on a review of the First Information Reports (FIRs) recorded in the  state's 13 districts. The state wise distribution of missing persons is: 852  from Uttarakhand (including 652 from Rudrapryag district alone), 1,150 from Uttar Pradesh, 542 from Madhya Pradesh, 511 from Rajasthan, 216 from Delhi, 163 from Maharashtra, 129 from Gujarat, 112 from Haryana, 86 from Andhra Pradesh, 58 from Bihar, 40 from Jharkhand, 36 from West Bengal, 33 from Punjab, 29 from Chhattisgarh, 26 from Orissa, 14 each from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, six from Meghalaya, four from Chandigarh, three from Jammu and Kashmir, two from Kerala and one each from Puducherry and Assam.