SHIMLA, Aug 5 — Relief measures in the flood-affected areas of Kinnaur and Shimla districts were speeded up today with the Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters making 11 sorties to airlift essential supplies.

In all, 200 quintals of essential commodities and relief material was transported to Rekong Peo, Sangla and Pooh in Kinnaur.

The electricity supply has been restored in the Nichar and Sangla areas and efforts are on to restore power in other parts of Kinnaur district. Additional staff has been deployed for the repair of damaged power supply within the stipulated time-frame.

Mr A.K. Goswami, Chief Secretary, while reviewing the progress of relief measures, directed officials to accelerate the pace of work with regard to repair of roads, distribution of essential commodities and restoration of power supply to villages.

He said that the road from Nogli to Rampur had been opened for light vehicles today and efforts were on to open it for heavy vehicles shortly. The Wangtoo bridge was safe for vehicular traffic and repair work on approach roads on both sides of the bridge were being carried out on a war footing.

He said mule path on the old Hindustan-Tibet road from Wangtoo to Tapri and Tapri to Kalpa would be restored for journey on foot within a week.

The Chief Secretary directed the Food and Civil Supplies Department to take immediate steps for hiring mules for carriage of essential commodities so that adequate ration could be made available at depots, shops and other distribution points.

Various voluntary organisations have also stepped in to assist the administration in providing relief to flood victims. The RSS has organised a free langar at Rampur and supplied 1000 blankets to affected persons. It is also arranging a truckload of foodgrains from Delhi.

The Student Federation of India and the Democratic Youth Federation of India have also started langars and raised money to help the victims.

The jawans of the Army, the SSB and the ITBP had been the first to come to the aid of the victims. They also recovered half a dozen bodies from the debris in Brow and Jagatkhana.

Meanwhile the All-India Tribes and Minorities Front has urged the Centre to declare the flash flood in the Sutlej as a national calamity. It has also demanded that the cause of the disaster be investigated by the RAW or defence intelligence agencies to ascertain whether it was a natural calamity or the result of a conspiracy.

Mr Mangal Sen Negi, president of the Front, said Tibet fell in the dry zone as such the possibility of a cloudburst was negligible. Thus the ‘conspiracy’ angle should be thoroughly probed.