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Life standstill: 3 years on, Kedarnath & Badrinath towns still struggling to stand on their feet

New Delhi: On Thursday, it will be three years since the natural tragedy struck the holy Kedarnath and Badrinath town. A multi-day cloudburst, on 16 June 2013, centered on the North Indian state of Uttarakhand caused devastating floods and landslides becoming the country's worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami. Image: Dilapidated houses at Kedarnath, Uttarakhand. Image: Dilapidated houses at Kedarnath, Uttarakhand on June 6/2016 . ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar However, three years after the disaster, when ABP Live visited these two towns, we found very little has changed for the people of these two places (specially Kedarnath) with the marks of nature's fury still clearly visible. Image: A totally destroyed house in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand. Image: A totally destroyed house in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand on June 6/2016. ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar At Kedarnath valley, the dilapidated houses of those who once used to live there will bring tears to your eyes. Image: A broken house in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand. ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar Image: A broken house in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand on June 6/2016. ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar Localites are still living in their broken-down homes, the wall of which haunt them of 2013 flash flood. Image: A dilapidated building in Kedarnath town, Uttarakhand. ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar Image: A dilapidated building in Kedarnath town, Uttarakhand on June 6/2016. ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar. Mohan, a small businessman who owns a small shop just near to Kedarnath temple while talking to ABP Live's Anurag Kumar said-"For six months, this valley gets closed due to extreme weather. Out of the rest six months too we get only 2-3 months to do business. We do business to sustain, there is hardly any profit." DSCF0467 Image: Mohan owns a small shop in Kedarnath town and sells clothes. (June 6/2016) ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar "Life is tough here", he says with the pain of June 2013 disaster clearly visible in his eyes. DSCF0434 Image: A dilapidated building in Kedarnath town, Uttarakhand on June 6/2016. ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar. The tragedy that struck on June 16, 2013, also to some extent, damaged the holy, very ancient Kedarnath temple. Image: A worker repairing a damaged portion of ancient Kedarnath temple. ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar Image: A worker repairing a damaged portion of ancient Kedarnath temple on June 6/2016. ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar It is worth mentioning here that during winters, all including Lord Shiva of Kedarnath temple migrate to lower plains to avoid the extreme weather. In the summer, they come back. Image: A dilapidated building in Kedarnath town, Uttarakhand. ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar. Image: A dilapidated house in Kedarnath town, Uttarakhand on June 6/2016 . ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar. It apparently seems that the government is helping but only to the extent to revive the Kedarnath yatra, not in rebuilding the life of those localities who live there. Munna Bhai who runs Nar Narayan guest house in Badrinath says that empty ATMs and no mobile signals have created a lot of trouble for not only the local people of the city but also tourists and pilgrims. Image: Munna Bhai, owner of Nar Narayan guest house Image: Munna Bhai, owner of Nar Narayan guest house on June 4/2016 . ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar "There are times when ATMs get exhausted. There is a lot of problem in mobile networks. This not only affects us but also tourists and devotees. It also has an adverse affect on our business", said Munna. In the outskirts of the city, the roads got washed off during 2013 floods and till date, they are not made, he said. Image: Washed away National Highway 58 in the outskirt of Badrinath, Uttarakhand. ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar Image: Washed away National Highway 58 in the outskirt of Badrinath, Uttarakhand on June 5/2016 . ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar       Natural calamities will come and go but how swiftly the governments will respond to help their people that what counts at the end. Image: A father sleeping with his child on street, just 500 metres away from Kedarnath temple, in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand. Image: A father sleeping with his child on the street, just 500 metres away from Kedarnath temple, in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand on June 6/2016 . ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar   Image: Sadhus (monks) sitting on the footpath at Kedarnath, Uttarakhand. ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar Image: Sadhus (monks) sitting on the footpath at Kedarnath, Uttarakhand on June 6/2016 . ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar   Image: A dilapidated house in Kedarnath town, Uttarakhand. ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar. Image: A view of dilapidated houses in Kedarnath town, Uttarakhand on June 6/2016 . ABP Live/ Anurag Kumar.
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