NEW DELHI: After being at their wit's end for a week, rescuing over
84,000 survivors across flood-ravaged Uttarakhand, the authorities
finally appeared to be in control of the situation on Monday with none
of the 6,000 still stranded in a life-threatening condition.
Braving adverse weather as a fresh bout of rains grounded many rescue
choppers, the armed and paramilitary forces still managed to evacuate
4,000 people to safer places using rope bridges. Even the 6,000 still
stuck, mostly in Badrinath, are safe and equipped with enough food and
shelter arranged by rescue forces.
"The worst is over now. All are safe in Badrinath, Harsil and
Gangotri. Army, ITBP and NDRF are present there. It will take 2-3 days
to finish the rescue work. Kedarnath valley is almost evacuated,"
Uttarakhand CM Vijay Bahuguna said.
Speaking of the rescue operations over the past few days, Bahuguna
told TOI, "Initially we had small airplanes of the state government
and then the big aircraft of the IAF arrived. We have evacuated about
4,000 people from Kedarnath and Gaurikund. Now less than 100 people
are left in Garur Chatti. The choppers are constantly bringing people.
From tomorrow, NDRF will start combing operations on foot. NDRF and
Army jawans have reached everywhere. Wherever people are stranded, be
it Kedarnath, Harsil, Gangotri, there is Army and civilian presence.
There is man-to-man contact. It is not that they have been left to the
mercy of nature. Now mobiles are working in Badrinath."
Despite climate-related hurdles, opening new trek routes and adding
more rope-bridges over the Alaknanda, forces managed to rescue close
to 4,000 people stranded in various parts of the Char Dham religious
circuit.
Now, only 6,000 remain stuck in Badrinath, Gangotri and Harsil even as
Kedarnath, worst affected by floods, has been declared clear of all
pilgrims and locals. Only 50-odd sadhus and mule owners, some of whom
were caught with money stolen from the temple chest, remain in
Kedarnath in the custody of forces.
Though rains are forecast for the next three days and fresh landslides
have already blocked some recently opened roads, authorities are not
too worried as all stranded people have been reached and are being
provided food, shelter and medical care.
To ensure quick evacuation by road as air operations remain suspended,
ITBP has added two more rope bridges over Alaknanda. Close to 500
people were also evacuated from Govindghat by vehicles and taken to
Rishikesh via Joshimath. The force also rescued 267 people from Maneri
in Uttarkashi. About 150 people are still stranded there.
Army, meanwhile, rescued 1,375 people from Badrinath and Harsil, the
only place where air evacuation was carried out in the morning. While
1,463 people were airlifted from Harsil by Army and the Air Force,
1,340 are reportedly still stuck there.
"Weather is expected to remain bad but there could be small windows
for air evacuation. However, since people are now stranded in areas
where trek routes and roads can be created we will continue evacuation
on foot and through vehicles tomorrow and day after. BRO is already
clearing some landslide sites," ITBP chief Ajay Chadha said.
Amid hope, there is also the gloom of dead bodies spread across the
kedarnath valley. Although counting of the dead has not yet started,
ITBP and NDRF have together found 394 dead bodies in the valley.
Sources said some of those among the 50 Sadhus and mule owners left
behind in Kedarnath were found to be carrying Rs 1.14 crore in cash
apart from jewellery. While the cash is suspected to be belonging to
temple, the jewellery seems to have been stolen from the dead, sources
said.
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