Two years later, man ‘dead’ in Uttarakhand floods returns home

Pushkar, who is traumatized, was first seen by one of his relatives near Rudraprayag Bypass road on March 21.

Uttarakhnad flash floods 2013. (Source: Express archives)

Fortysix-year-old Pushkar Singh, who was declared “presumed dead” in the 2013 Uttarakhand flash floods, has got reunited with his family at his native place Simkholi village in Chamoli district in Uttarakhand on Tuesday.

Pushkar, who is traumatized, was first seen by one of his relatives near Rudraprayag Bypass road on March 21. Later the relative took him to a nearby hospital at Srinagar town. He was discharged from the hospital Monday evening.

In January this year, Vijendar Singh, a native of Alwar in Rajasthan, had traced his wife Leela near Heena village in the Uttarkashi’s Gangotri area. Like Pushkar, Leela was also found traumatized.

Story continues below this ad

“He is not in a position to tell anything. I had sent a police team to talk to him. After being discharged from the hospital, he will back in his house at his village,” Rudraprayag SP Varinderjit Singh told The Indian Express on phone. Kedar Valley falls under Rudraprayag district. SP Singh said Pushkar was declared “dead” following the flash floods in 2013.

On the basis of medical examination, Pushkar’s elder brother Dharam Singh said it would take at least three years for Pushkar to return to normalcy. “He speaks very few words. I don’t want to create any pressure on him. Our priority is to ensure his proper treatment,” Dharam Singh said. According to him, Pushkar has two children. “All my family members are very happy after his return.

He was first seen at Rudraprayag Bypass by his cousin brother Santosh,” Dharam said. “Kedar Baba ke ashirvad se he laute hai (He has blessings of Kedarnathji. Hence he was able to return home,” he remarked.

Pushkar was working in a Mumbai-based medicine company in 2013. He had returned to his village in June 2013 when flash floods struck Uttarakhand.