In Uttrakhand, the remaining 300 stranded pilgrims in the flood hit areas are being evacuated today. With this, the evacuation of all the stranded pilgrims and tourists is likely to be over by this evening.

Over 900 pilgrims were airlifted from Badrinath and 650 pilgrims reached Joshimath on foot yesterday. Rescuers from Army are engaged to locate the stranded pilgrims as well as locals on higher reaches in Pithoragarh.

Small helicopters from the Air force and private sector have been pressed into service to drop food packets to the villages totally cut off. About 200 such villages have been identified.

Rescue work was hampered by bad weather in Dharchula and Munsyari yesterday. Border Roads Organisation has opened the national highway connecting Badkot-Rishikesh and Rishikesh-Uttarkashi for traffic.

Over one lakh seven thousand and 600 stranded people have been evacuated from the affected areas so far.

Vice Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority, Sashidhar Reddy said telecommunication services have been restored in most areas. He said, 105 satellite phones are also being used.

Meanwhile, mass funeral of bodies was carried out in Kedarghati region yesterday. 94 bodies have been cremated. DNA samples of the bodies which could not be identified have been preserved.

Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said, a 200-member team consisting of officials of various departments is being sent alongwith equipment to Kedarnath and Rambada to extricate the bodies and expedite the process of disposal.

He said, the government will release the relief amount to the families of all those who do not report within 30 days.

Two teams from Archaeological Survey of India and Engineering Projects Limited have reached Dehradun on way to Kedarnath temple to assess the damage to the historic temple. The Government has already announced that the temple will be renovated by the state government.