Annual migration saves hundreds of residents as an avalanche strikes Chamoli village.

Located nearly 55 km from the India-China border, Mana in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district is the closest village to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) project site, where 57 people were trapped following an avalanche on Friday. So far, 33 people have been rescued and brought to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp in Mana village for treatment.

Mana, once known as the “last village of India” and now referred to as the “first Indian village” before the China border, is one of the few villages in the district where residents migrate to lower altitudes from November to April each year. This seasonal migration helps them avoid the extreme winter conditions, where temperatures can drop to minus 17 degrees Celsius or lower.

At the time of the avalanche on Friday, the village was deserted as all the villagers had relocated to Gopeshwar, the district headquarters, nearly 100 km away from Mana. Most families in Mana have separate accommodations in Gopeshwar, where they create handicraft items during their five-month stay. When the weather improves and the Char Dham Yatra begins around April-May, they return to the village to sell woolen goods to the pilgrims visiting the nearby Badrinath shrine.

Handicraft sales and the cultivation of potatoes and buckwheat (fafar) are the primary sources of livelihood for the villagers. Situated at an elevation of 10,500 feet above sea level, Mana has over 1,200 residents, of whom 824 are registered voters. Some villagers also operate homestays for tourists. The nearest hospital is located 3 km away in Badrinath.

“We are accustomed to this life,” says Pitambar Singh Molpha (63), the village pradhan (head). “There is a school in the village, but due to the annual migration, families have enrolled their children in schools in Gopeshwar to prevent interruptions in their studies.” Pitambar explains that during the summer months, parents return to Mana, but the children remain in Gopeshwar to continue their education.

According to Pitambar, the avalanche struck near Mana while road development work by the BRO was ongoing. Former village pradhan Bhagat Singh adds, “The avalanche hit a higher altitude area where a camp of laborers was set up. The village remains deserted at this time due to our annual migration. Only Army and BRO personnel stay in nearby camps during this period.” Bhagat also lives with his family in Gopeshwar; his younger son is a nursing student in Gopeshwar, while his elder son sells woolen clothes in Mana from April to November.

“While we’re in Gopeshwar, we need permission from the administration to return to our village. Typically, people avoid going there during winter because access to houses buried under snow is restricted,” Pitambar explains.

Situated along the Alaknanda River, Mana has several locations tied to the epic Mahabharata. Pilgrims visiting Badrinath often travel an additional 3 km to visit Mana, believed to be the village the Pandavas passed through en route to heaven.

Other villages in Chamoli that also migrate to lower altitudes during winter include Dronagiri, Malari, Kailashpur, Gamshali, Jelum, Kosha, Jumma, and Niti, among others. During the Badrinath Assembly bypoll in July of last year, the voters from these villages, including Mana, were able to vote in their ancestral villages for the first time since the formation of Uttarakhand because they happened to be present there at that time. During elections, migrant voters are associated with the polling stations closest to their location.