Uttarkashi Flood Survivors Are Rebuilding From Nothing — Stand With Them & Donate What You Can

Featured image courtesy: The Indian Express and Divyanshu Upadhyay

On the night of 5 August 2025, disaster struck the Himalayan village of Dharali in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.

A sudden cloudburst triggered a massive landslide and flash flood that destroyed over 40 homes, more than 20 hotels and homestays, and left over 100 families in utter devastation.

At least four lives have been lost. Over 50 people are still missing. And while 150 have been rescued, the scale of destruction is overwhelming.

In this moment of urgent need, the Bharat Disaster Relief Foundation (BDRF) — a 100 percent volunteer-driven group — along with Hope Welfare Trust, is on the ground providing immediate relief.

You can help.

Just Rs 1,000 provides a family with a ration kit that lasts 15 days.
And Rs 600 gives someone sleeping in the cold a warm blanket.

Every rupee goes directly to the affected families.

Donate now

The on-ground reality in Dharali

The team — including Akshay Awasthi, Kuldip Thakur, and Rishu Singh — is already on the ground in Uttarkashi, waiting for the roads to clear so they can begin relief work for affected families.

“The roads to Dharali and Harsil are still blocked, but we’re hopeful they’ll be cleared soon and we can start our work,” Divyanshu Upadhyay — founder of Hope Welfare Trust, who is leading the efforts — tells The Better India.

Once access is restored, the team will deliver ration kits — enough to feed a family of four for 15 days — and distribute blankets, each costing Rs 600, to help families brave the cold and devastation.

Each ration kit includes:

• 10 kg of wheat flour
• 10 kg of rice
• 2 kg of dal
• Cooking oil, sugar, salt, and spices

With each kit and blanket, they’re offering more than just supplies — they’re offering hope and dignity.

The bigger picture: Rising climate disasters and BDRF’s response

What happened in Dharali is not an isolated incident. In just the last three years, BDRF has responded to some of India’s most devastating natural disasters:

• 2023: Cloudbursts in Kullu, Manali, Wayanad, Sikkim, Assam and Bihar floods.
• 2024: Cyclone Fengal (Chennai), Nepal earthquake, Myanmar earthquake.
• 2025: Bihar floods, Prayagraj and Varanasi floods, Mandi cloudburst, and now Uttarkashi.

And all of it is entirely volunteer-led.

How can you help?

BDRF needs your help to scale up relief efforts in Uttarkashi.

Scan the QR code below or click on the link to contribute.

Rs 1,000 = Ration kit for a family (lasts 15 days)

Rs 600 = Warm blanket for someone without shelter

Your support could mean a child doesn’t go to bed hungry tonight. Or that an elderly woman stays warm in the freezing mountains.

Every donation makes an immediate difference.

As Uttarkashi mourns and begins to rebuild, BDRF stands as a symbol of what we can do when we come together — proof that when nature strikes hard, humanity must strike back harder.

Let’s show up for each other. Let’s make it count.

Sources

'Helicopters rescue people stranded by floods on key India pilgrim route': Published by Reuters on 8 August 2025

'Over 60, including several soldiers, missing as flash floods wreak havoc in Uttarkashi': Published by The Indian Express on 6 August 2025