- Going down: Toshi, a village of some 25 households in the Kedar zone, is surrounded by cracked ground. Many of the houses too are damaged and people fear the village may subside.
- 25 people from Shaunitpur village in Kedar valley have died. The rest live in despair.
- Lost helpers: About 6,000 ponies and mules were plying on the Kedarnath route to transport pilgrims. Many died. Those that have survived are unable to find their way back.
- 15 thousand Nepalis, who earn during the pilgrim season, are without jobs now
***
The story of a tree fall is the story of thousands of scattered leaves. So it is in Uttarakhand: one disaster with its death toll—and thousands and thousands of lives disturbed, disjointed. They will take years to recover—if at all. As the disaster fades from the front pages and from prime-time TV, the accumulated weight of loss will be felt in the hills.
Toshi is a village across...
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