Uttarakhand floods: Follow these dos and don'ts to stay safe from an avalanche, floods

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A glacial burst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district triggered an avalanche and led to massive flooding of the Alaknanda and Dhauli Ganga rivers on February 7.

The Rishiganga Power Project has been damaged due to the breach of the glacier in Tapovan area.

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The Chamoli district magistrate has instructed officials to evacuate villages on the bank of Dhauli Ganga river, ANI reported.

Two teams of ITBP have reached the spot, three NDRF teams have been rushed from Dehradun and three additional teams will reach there with help of IAF chopper till evening. SDRF and local administration officials are already at spot, Minister of State Home Nityanand Rai told ANI.

Read more: Massive flood in Dhauli Ganga, Uttarakhand: Officials evacuate people in surrounding villages

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has tweeted dos and don'ts during an avalanche or flooding.

#Avalanche | Follow these do's and don'ts to #StaySafe from an avalanche!

Be smart, be prepared! pic.twitter.com/VhOL5ssgGL

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— NDMA India | राष्ट्रीय आपदा प्रबंधन प्राधिकरण (@ndmaindia) February 7, 2021

Here are do's and don'ts to stay safe from an avalanche:

Before an avalanche

-Listen to radio, watch TV, read newspapers for weather updates.

-Stay indoors, suspend all outdoor plans once an warning is issued.

-Avoid steep slopes and critical areas.

-Keep an evacuation plan ready; demarcate evacuation routes.

-During low danger avalanche warning, move on slopes carefully and mark your tracking path using a piece of cloth, stick etc.

When caught in avalanche:

-Try to stay the surface or get away to the sides.

-Hold on to something sturdy.

-Make breathing space by creating air pocket using one hand.

-Breathe calmly, especially if you're unable to reach the surface.

-Stay calm, knock the surface regularly to attract rescuers.

#Flood | #StaySafe from floods. Follow these do's and don'ts #Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/TTJ0Uc03A8

— NDMA India | राष्ट्रीय आपदा प्रबंधन प्राधिकरण (@ndmaindia) February 7, 2021