Summiting4Hope:Rebuilding Uttarakhand

Hi Everyone,

Summiting4Hope, is an initiative started by me with the intention to rehabilitate the people of Uttarakhand who lost their property and livelihood during the 2013 June floods. The destruction caused by the floods, all too evident from the scores of media images that flashed on news channels, has left a trail of broken homes – literally.

Thereafter along with two other mountaineer friends Guneet Puri and Yashwant Singh Panwar we began our journey under Summiting4Hope by being part of rescue and relief operations in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. We volunteered for relief operations with the Tata Relief Committee led by legendary mountaineer Bachendri Pal. Along with us was also Premlata Agarwal who is India’s oldest woman to have summited the seven highest peaks on all seven continents. We helped 1500 families across 14 villages. 

Government statistics estimate that 464 villages have been affected across 4 blocks in Uttarkashi district alone. These include 14,353 affected families that amounts to population of close to 60,000. Having seen the destruction in Uttarkashi and its upper reaches up close and personal, we intend to continue our work in this region for a longer duration.

At a time when the large NGOs are sitting with their proposed plan to rebuild and rehabilitate several villages but are stuck due to lack of clarity from the Government, Summiting4Hope decided to undertake individual projects that are executable.

First project:

Summiting4Hope’s first project towards Rebuilding Uttarakhand was Climb for a Cause -The first Climbing Expedition in this endeavor was intended “In Uttarakhand, for Uttarakhand and by Uttarakhand”.  We were the first expedition team to have successfully summited Mt  Rudugaira Peak (5819 mts) part of the Gangotri range of mountains in the Garhwal hills post disaster and post monsoon in October 2013.

The idea behind climbing in Uttarakhand was to boost the morale of the local adventure companies and all the others involved directly or indirectly with the business of adventure sports. And, we are glad were able to help 6 porters, two cooks and few local guides and a local agency monetarily.

While we have successfully completed relief and our first project, enough has not been done.  The scale of destruction means that a much more intensive effort is needed, especially with the severe winter months currently on. There are still, possibly thousands of families living in make-shift shelters that would offer little comfort as temperatures start dropping..

Summiting4Hope has now embarked on its second project where in we are building a 24 year old young girl Mamta Rawat’s house in Bankoli village. Mamta, is the only earning member of her family. Even as her house was getting washed away she preferred to rush out to the help of the pilgrims and other tourists rather than save her house which she was confident that nothing will happen to her family

We are doing with support from Krishan Kuriyal and Associates (the local architect who has prepared the blueprint of the house after studying the area, Nehru Institute of Mountaineering and Principal Col. Ajay Kothiyal. The work has already started with 12 porters from NIM who are currently leveling the ground before the lay the foundation of the house.

The estimated cost of building the house is Rs 8 lakh.

Could i request each one of you on this network to spread the word and also if you could suggest what’s possible to do in terms of raising funds.  

thanks and regards

Anusha Subramanian

Summiting4Hope

+919820403174