Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi have completed their about 2-hour long aeriel survey of the flood affected areas in Uttarakhand, including badly affected Kedar Valley in Rudra Prayag district. Earlier, Chief Minister Bahuguna has conducted ariel survey of affected areas.
AIR Correspondent reports that Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh today met with State Government Officers to know about steps and measures taken for relief and rescue operations being conducted in the flood affected areas of the State. He also made an aeriel survey of the affected areas. Several senior officers from the Centre have already reached at Dehradun to access the damaged due to flood, cloud bursting and other rain related incidents.
Releif and rescue operations have been intensified in the affected areas as weather condition was improved in several parts of the State. Army has set up several relief camps in the affected areas and above 7 thousands Jawans from Army are ropped into the relief operation to the stranded divotees and local residence.
As per estimated above 50 thousand people are stranded at several places in the flood affected areas including in the routes of Four Shrine- Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. Large number of Sikh divotees are also stranded in the Hem Kund Sahib a famous Sikh Shrine.
AIR Correspondent reports that several State Govenments have provided assistance to the Uttarakhand Government for relief and rescue operations.
As per information received from different sources 138 deaths are reported in flood related incidents. Rudraprayag district is the worst affected. The Kedarnath shrine and Rambara in Rudraprayag district bore the brunt of the torrential rains. Kailash Mansarover yatra have been halted near Bundi in Pithoragarh district.
With the improvement in weather in Uttarakhand, relief and rescue work has been expedited. Roads blocked by landslides are being opened up gradually for movement of vehicles in several affected areas. 22 Army and private helicopters have been deployed to carry out relief and rescue work in full swing. Jawans of Indian Army, ITBP and NDRF have been carrying rescue and relief work on war footing.
