In Uttarakhand,5000 thousand pilgrims including locals are still stranded in Uttarakhand. 4000 are stranded in Badrinath valley while 1000 in Gangotri valley. A Mi-17 chopper crashed while carrying out rescue operation in Gaurikund killing five air force personnel and three others.
Ninetyseven thousand stranded pilgrims at different places at Gangotri, Badrinath and Pithoragarh have been evacuated so far .
Center and Uttarakhand government today informed Supreme Court that the rescue and relief operations and evacuation of those stranded across the flood ravaged state will be completed within 72 hours.
The state government said this evening that about 600 stranded pilgrims were evacuated today from Gangotri and Badrinath. Addressing a joint press conference Member of National Disaster Management Authority NDMA member and former Union Home Secretary V.K. Duggal and Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar said this evening at Dehradun that bad weather and rains today affected relief and rescue operation by air. Our correspondent reports that the Army continued its search, relief, rescue and evacuation operations in the affected areas. The focus was Badrinath and Gangotri valley. Army aviation helicopters carried out sorties both in Badrinath and Kedarnath Valleys. From Harsil in Gangotri about 400 people have been evacuated by helicopter sorties. Approximately 1000 people are awaiting evacuation at Harsil. Rescue teams have cleared Maneri and Bhatwadi as all 42 stranded pilgrims have been evacuated today.
In Badrinath valley evacuation by air and a combination of foot and vehicle continued and about 800 people have been brought at Joshimath by the Army. About 500 are still stranded at Joshimath. In order to speed up evacuation, steel foot bridge across Alaknanda River at Lambagad in Badrinath Valley is being constructed by the Army. In Pithoragarh district Army today evacuated 92 people from Sobala Valley of Dharchula. Tejam and its surrounding villages in the district were cut off following floods. 500 people were provided medical aid. Army earlier relocated people from low lying areas to higher reaches in Dharchula in the district.
Mr. Duggal today visited Chinyalisaud in Uttarkashi to take the on ground account of evacuation operation conducted by the Army, the India Air Force and the ITBP. He said Army, NDRF and ITBP teams have not found any stranded pilgrim at Kedarnath valley during its two day combing operation from Gaurikund to Kedarnath temple. He added only 86 saints have been found at Garudchatti in the valley and they will be evacuated by tomorrow. Replying to a question Mr. Duggal said all Central agencies including Army, Air Force, Border Road Organisation and NDRF will provide all logistic support to the state machinery in the removal of derbies in disaster affected areas.
The Chief Secretary informed that about 22 persons have been arrested in Rudraprayag district allegedly involved in the incidents of looting and snatching of belongings of stranded pilgrims. He said lakhs of rupees have also been recovered from them.
