69 feared killed in Garhwal landslips

SRINAGAR (Garhwal), Aug 14 (UNI) — At least 69 persons were feared killed in landslides and flash floods triggered by incessant rain in the Garhwal region of northern Uttar Pradesh, officials said here today.

Unofficial reports put the toll at more than 100. Rudraprayag Subdivisional Magistrate Lalitmohan Upreti told UNI that 15 bodies had been recovered.

The region has been lashed by incessant rain since Tuesday.

Most of the victims were either buried under the debris of the landslides which destroyed hundreds of houses or swept away by flash floods.

An entire village in Rudraprayag district, Raunlake, was wiped out.

Property worth crores of rupees was also destroyed.

Acting on a SOS sent by Rudraprayag District Magistrate Babulal Meena, several units of the army and para military forces started rescue and relief operations in the region.

Officials said rescue operations were being hampered by continuous downpour.

The death toll was expected to rise because many villages had not yet been approached by officials and rescue workers.

Uttar Pradesh State Minister Matbar Singh Kandri and Garhwal region Commissioner Brijmohan Vora visited some of the affected villages and assured all possible help to the victims.

Twentyone deaths were reported yesterday due to the incessant rain that caused widespread damage in the Ukhimath block of the district.

So far, the maximum number of deaths were reported from villages of Gaid, Gargu, Barua and Tiloji, sources said.

PAC and police jawans were also carrying out relief and rescue operations with top administrative officials supervising the work amidst adverse weather.

Traffic came to a halt at many points and the Rudraprayag-Kedarnath route was damaged at several places, the sources said.

While the bodies of most of the victims had been recovered, 10 seriously injured were admitted to hospital.

The sources feared the toll might shoot up to more than 100 as a number of people were reported missing.

Among the dead were 32 from village Rawalekh, seven from Gahar village, five from Pilaunji, five from Jaggi Bagawan, two from Bedala, three from Kalimath, three from Burba, three from Ransi, two from Kunjethe, two from Kawita and one each from Katama, Gondar and Uniyana, the sources said.

Torrential rain today continued to lash Ookhimath obstructing relief and rescue operations, the sources said.

In the landslides and heavy-rain hit areas of Ookhimath, potable water supply, electricity supply and telecommunication facilities were disrupted, the sources said.

Uttaranchal Development Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal "Nishank" had made an aerial survey of the affected areas by a helicopter.

In the neighbouring Bihar, the toll in the current spell of floods rose to 155 with eight more deaths reported today as the overall flood situation continued to be grim, official sources said.

State Relief and Rehabilitation Department sources said three deaths were reported from Saharsa during the day, while two others perished in the flood waters in Samastipur.

One death each was reported from Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi and Gopalganj districts, the sources said.

The floods, the sources said, affected about nine million people in 23 districts in the state, washed away cattle, damaged crops, houses and property worth several crores of rupees.

Fernandes meets Jaya again

CHENNAI, Aug 14 (PTI, UNI) — In yet another "mission pacification" undertaken within 48 hours, Defence Minister George Fernandes called on AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalitha at her Poes Garden residence this evening in an obvious bid to persuade her to reconsider her threat to withdraw support to the six-month-old Vajpayee Government at the Centre.

Although Mr Fernandes airdashed to Chennai this morning, he virtually made a disappearing act. His whereabouts were not known till 7 p.m. though unconfirmed reports said he held discussions with MDMK leader Vaiko and PMK founder President S. Ramadoss. Both MDMK and PMK are two important partners in the AIADMK front.

Right from the time it was known that Mr Fernandes had landed in Chennai, mediapersons had converged near Ms Jayalalitha’s residence expecting some announcement.

The Defence Minister was scheduled to leave for Delhi by a delayed flight later tonight.

In Tirumala Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy today claimed that Ms Jayalalitha would take a final decision on continuing support to the BJP-led government at the Centre on August 16.

Speaking to reporters, he said Ms Jayalalitha was a shrewd and independent person capable of taking a decision which would safeguard the interests of Tamil Nadu and the country at large.

The Vajpayee Government could survive only because of the support of the AIADMK-led front in Tamil Nadu, he said and alleged that the Centre had utterly disregarded the interests of people of Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery waters issue.

He said the BJP could make Mr M. Karunanidhi attend the chief ministers conclave at Delhi to discuss the issue, despite strong opposition from various parties, including the AIADMK, by "subduing him" with the action taken report (ATR) of the Jain Commission which probed the conspiracy aspect of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination.

Dr Swamy alleged that the ATR, in which there was a mention of Mr Karunanidhi, had forced him to surrender the rights of Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery waters issue.

He said that as per the new draft scheme which was notified by the Centre, there was no commitment on the part of Karnataka to release water and the proposed Cauvery Water Authority had no teeth to implement the agreement.

To a question, Dr Swamy said he would explain on August 16, the reasons why he could not pull down the BJP-led government before August 15 as promised by him earlier.

He said Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee should tender an apology to the people of the country for various "actions" of the RSS.

Meanwhile, Ms Jayalalitha has said it is the print and electronic media which set deadlines for the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre and not her party.

"So far, I have not served any ultimatum on the government and it is only a creation of the media. It is not my intention to attack the Centre or impede its performance. All my statements, meant for the welfare of people, are only aimed at improving the Centre's performance," she said in an interview to a Tamil weekly, Kumudam.

Replying to questions on wide-ranging subjects, she said the Centre had adequate proof of the intrusion of terrorists and on the conspiracy being hatched by foreign forces. "The Home Department has the evidence," she said.

To a question on what quality she appreciated in her bete noire and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, she replied: "His oratory and his ability to wield his pen in chaste Tamil".