Dehradun, Aug. 8 -- Nearly forty-seven years after it last followed its original course, the Kheer Ganga, a tributary of the Bhagirathi, has returned to its ancient course and has brought with it a trail of devastation and destruction. The raging waters, laden with massive boulders and debris, swept away the newly established settlement of Dharali that lay in its path.

Last evening, while speaking to media persons, the Meteorological Department of Uttarakhand refuted initial reports that the disaster was triggered by a cloudburst. Rohit Thapliyal, a scientist at the Meteorological Centre in Dehradun, claimed that no data indicating any cloudburst event has been recorded in Uttarkashi. Therefore, the incident cannot be officially classifi...