Four months after a devastating flash flood swept through Uttarakhand's Harsil valley, the Uttarkashi district administration has provisionally declared missing Agniveer Sachin Ponia dead. The 23-year-old soldier was among nine Army personnel who vanished during a rescue operation after their camp was hit by a mudslide on August 5.
A Family's Hope Shattered by Official Declaration
The provisional death certificate has shattered the hopes of Ponia's family in Kareel village, Hathras district. While accepting the administration's order, the family maintains that search efforts must continue as there is no conclusive proof of his death. The news has plunged the household into renewed grief, with his mother Laxmi and sister Shweta breaking down repeatedly at the mention of his name.
Sachin's father, farmer Chandraveer Singh Ponia, told TOI, "As long as there is no proof, we will not stop hoping. The last time Sachin spoke with us was on August 4, a day before the disaster." He recounted that after the cloudburst triggered massive landslides, the family was informed of his disappearance by Army officials, who later summoned relatives to Uttarkashi to provide DNA samples.
Administrative Process and Search Operations
In early December, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Bhatwari in Uttarkashi issued the order declaring Sachin 'provisionally dead' based on circumstances. A public notice was issued inviting objections within 30 days. The SDM of Uttarkashi's Bhatwari sub-division explained the process: "After the disaster, we set up a desk for missing persons. Our investigation started immediately. Multiple police teams searched the incident site and submitted their final report to the court and our office."
The report concluded that after an extensive search, the missing Army personnel could not be located. A magisterial inquiry considered the Hathras SDM's report and an affidavit from Sachin's mother before making the declaration in accordance with standard operating procedures from the Centre and state government.
Following the declaration, the Hathras SDM invited objections from the public and family. Of the nine missing jawans, only three bodies have been recovered and identified so far.
Who Was Agniveer Sachin Ponia?
Sachin Ponia completed his intermediate education from Tuhi Ram Inter College in his village and pursued graduation along with NCC training in 2021. He was recruited as an Agniveer on October 30, 2022, and attached to the 14th Battalion of Rajputana Rifles. After training, his first posting came on June 19, 2023, to Harsil valley in Uttarkashi.
Before leaving for duty, he sought blessings from his parents and village elders. His last conversation with his family occurred on August 4, just one day before the natural disaster that led to his disappearance during rescue operations in Dharali near Harsil following a cloudburst and flash floods.
The provisional death declaration marks a painful bureaucratic conclusion to a tragedy that highlights the risks faced by security personnel during disaster response operations in India's vulnerable Himalayan regions.
