SDC Foundation welcomes the government’s decision to declare missing persons in the Dharali disaster as deceased; urges extension of the same process to previous disasters
Dehradun-based environmental and social advocacy organisation, SDC Foundation has welcomed the Government of Uttarakhand’s decision to declare the missing persons in the Dharali (Uttarkashi) disaster as deceased.
In a letter to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, SDC Foundation’s founder Anoop Nautiyal described this step as a humane, sensitive, and pragmatic initiative that will bring relief to the affected families who have been living in prolonged uncertainty and mental distress.
Anoop Nautiyal said that 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. He urged the state government to extend the same process to all disasters that occurred in Uttarakhand between January 1, 2018, and September 30, 2025, where the missing persons have not yet been officially declared deceased.
In his letter, he noted that Section 108 of the Indian Evidence Act, which allows a person to be declared dead only after being missing for seven years, becomes an obstacle in extraordinary situations like natural disasters. He suggested that the state government should frame a special policy to declare missing persons deceased through a special process within a maximum of six months.
He further proposed the creation of a centralised digital registry of missing persons, which can be regularly updated to track the status of rescue operations, relief distribution, and rehabilitation efforts.
Anoop Nautiyal reiterated that in a seismically and geographically fragile state like Uttarakhand, this decision will strengthen both the humanitarian approach and administrative transparency, ensuring timely relief for the affected families. He has requested Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to make this announcement on November 9, 2025, the Silver Jubilee of Uttarakhand’s statehood.
