Legendary Chipko woman Gaura Devi’s village sinking, houses destroyed due to landslides, families terrified

The historic village from where commenced the globally popular CHIPKO movement that spread the message of conservation of forests by a legendary woman fighter Gaura Devi, against the then contractors hell bent upon destroying the green jungles by cutting hundreds of trees, finally discouraging, compelling them to return back empty handed, REINY village is today in real danger and on the verge of extinction as sixty houses of this village and its over 350 inhabitants not knowing where to go and seek adequate shelter are badly terrified, not knowing where to go n secure their lives.

According to the latest reports, the existence of the terrified villagers of Reiny village with a big question mark, situated at the distant border near Tibet, China in Chamoli district Garhwal, has been in immense danger as the massive landslides during the ongoing monsoon n high n powerful tides of Rishi Ganga have speedily cut and destroyed the major portion of the foot hills leading to sinking of the village.

There have been reports of several cracks in the houses, compounds n even nearby agricultural fields.

Several houses of this village have been damaged as well resulting in the villagers seeking refuge in upper hilly terrain’s caves etc.

During the Rishi Ganga floods few months ago due to glacial bursts that claimed about two hundreds lives, some inhabitants of Raini village too had died which means that this is a second tragedy being confronted by the inhabitants of this village with the Rishiganga again showing its anger n exasperation during these monsoons.

Majority of the villagers have migrated to cities n towns including metropolises in search of jobs n other avenues but about sixty families are still living here with a total population of around 350 inhabitants.

According to known sources, after the critical situation of the Reini village and its residents were highlighted in social media, the matter caught the attention of the print n electronics media as well.

Meanwhile seeing the jeopardised condition of the villagers and Reiny witnessing several cracks n apprehensions of the village sinking with some houses destroyed as well, the district administration has asked the geological scientists to study the critical situation of the area by conducting a zeological survey to ascertain the real danger looming large of the village’s existence.

It has been revealed that the in-depth geological survey of the village n the adjoining areas have been conducted n report expected. There are also proposals to shift this village to an suitably alternate site subject to the report’s outcome.

In view of the speculations of the natural calamities in the area expected in the future and about forty percent of the Joshimath Malari highway being completely destroyed having caved in due to the powerful tides of Rishiganga disconnecting contacts with the border villages as well as the Army n paramilitary posts etc, the BRO is working hard to reconstruct the damaged Highway at the earliest. Majority of the houses in the villages have been destroyed due to the massive cutting of the roads from underneath posing direct challenge to other houses as well.

After having been surrounded from two sides by the Rishiganga, historic Gaura Devi’s Rainy village is sinking further putting the lives of its inhabitants in constant danger apart from the valley bridge constructed by the Army on the verge of falling down.

According to a news reports , the Border Roads Organisation officers are seriously concerned about the sinking of the Raini village n have promised to pay the financial compensation to the affected families.

Meanwhile the affected residents of Raini village n other affected nearby residents n their children have been given refuge in the schools of Lata village in the nearby periphery with adequate facilities of quilts, food, water, electricity n medicines etc.

It may be recalled that legendary Chipko movement leader Gaura Devi was born in 1925 in Lata village who came to her in law’s house Rainy after marriage. She became widow at the mere age of 22 years and lived till her last at the age of 62 in 1991. On 25 th March in 1974, Gaura Devi organised her women companions against the merciless n arbitrary felling of trees by the forest contractors who were accorded the contracts for cutting trees in Reiny village. The loggers reached the village with their equipments and were likely to cut them. Gaura Devi, when came to know about this became extremely exasperated and immediately mobilised her other women companions of the village starting with about twenty five.

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Risking their lives they confronted the loggers and were abused n physically threatened but these brave women hugged themselves to the trees challenging them to first kill them before axing them. The angered n furious loggers had no option but to return back.

Thereafter Gauradevi n her companions were joined by environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt and Sunderlal Bahuguna who expanded its influence through further mobilisation n protests including highlighting it via print media. Finally the then Uttar Pradesh government had to bow down stopping the deforestation in Uttarakhand jungles for ten years thus recognising the Chipko movement making news headlines n gradually becoming popular worldwide.