Uttarkashi, Aug. 12 -- At least 42 people remain missing after flash floods ravaged Dharali-Harsil area of Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand a week ago, state authorities said on Monday, as they also revised the toll in the incident to one from the earlier six, saying that only one body has been recovered so far. "Of the 43 reported missing, the body of 24-year-old Akash Panwar of Dharali village has been recovered and his family has received financial assistance," Garhwal divisional commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey told reporters at the disaster control room in Uttarkashi. "The 42 [people] still missing include nine army personnel, eight residents of Dharali, five from nearby areas, one from Tehri district, 13 from Bihar and six from Uttar Pradesh." Apart from them, Pandey said, the administration has contacted five of the 29 Nepali labourers reported missing initially. "Five have been traced after mobile connectivity was restored. The remaining 24 have not been contacted, and contractors have been directed to obtain their details from their points of origin," he added. Efforts are underway to track down all missing persons, including those from other states, Pandey said, adding that clearer figures are expected in the next two days. The toll in the disaster, which was pegged at four on the day of the incident and increased to six days later, has been revised to one as officials maintained that only the body of the 24-year-old Dharali resident has been recovered. "The official death toll at present is one," said SDRF commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi. In the aftermath of the disaster, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced a package of immediate financial assistance and formed a three-member committee for long-term rehabilitation of residents of areas hit by the flash floods on August 5. Dhami said that the families whose houses were destroyed in the disaster would receive Rs.5 lakh for rehabilitation or displacement. A similar amount will provide as ex gratia to the next of kin of those killed in the disaster, the CM said. On Monday, Pandey said the ex-gratia payment to the disaster-affected families has already been initiated and 98 affected families have been provided Rs.5 lakh each. A high-level three-member committee, headed by the state revenue secretary, has also been constituted to prepare a comprehensive relief and rehabilitation package. So far, 1,278 people have been evacuated from the affected area, he said. "The top priority is tracing those trapped under debris." Meanwhile, Uttarkashi DM Prashant Arya has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the recent flash floods in Uttarkashi. Bhatwadi SDM has been directed to submit a detailed probe report to the DM's office within a week. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday no said that new settlements or construction will be permitted in disaster-prone areas of the state's hill districts. Chairing a high-level meeting on disaster management and safety , Dhami said both government and private constructions will be prohibited on natural water sources as well as along riverbanks and mountain streams. "Clear guidelines must be issued to all DMs, and their enforcement should be closely monitored," he said. The chief minister also added that strict disciplinary action would be taken against officials who flout these directives....