M A I N   N E W S

Rescuers now battle bad weather
* Only 1,000 airlifted
* Fresh landslides choke more routes
Tribune News Service & PTI

Dehradun, June 24
Fresh rains, landslips and inclement weather hampered the rescue operations by air and road in the flood-ravaged Uttarakhand today with around 1,000 stranded pilgrims being evacuated. The operations are likely to be stalled for the next three days with heavy rains being predicted.

As rough weather posed a challenge to multi-agency operations, only 164 pilgrims could be airlifted from Badrinath in a small aircraft that could make limited sorties.

Defence Minister AK Antony said the armed forces will continue their rescue efforts in the state till the last survivor is brought out safely. The rain-marred rescue efforts, however, saw around 1,000 pilgrims being evacuated from different areas, Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar told reporters in Dehradun. Around 4,000 persons were still stranded in Badrinath and Gangotri Valley, he said. Apart from 164 evacuated from Badrinath, 830 were evacuated from Harshil, Maneri and Bhatwari, he said. The bad weather grounded most of the big military copters and small helicopters had to be used to carry out evacuations.

“Around 2,500 pilgrims are still stranded in Badrinath,” said the Chief Secretary. He said through the land route, 1,470 persons were shifted to Pandukeshwar by the Army. There are no longer any stranded pilgrims at Govindghat,” he said. IAF copters managed to undertake sorties in the Gangotri Valley and 830 stranded pilgrims were evacuated from Harsil, Maneri Bhali and Bhatwari. “Around 1,400 pilgrims now remain stuck in the Gangotri valley,” said Subash Kumar. In Yamnotri, operations to rescue stranded persons were complete.

Reports from Chamoli and Pauri districts said it was raining in the higher reaches, hampering copter operations. Fresh landslips in Rudraprayag and on the Badrinath highway also choked the route. Besides rains and landslides, a cloudburst was reported in Mulan village in Paithani kasba in Pauri following incessant rains. Many houses collapsed but casualties, if any, were not immediately known. "Not even a single copter could be flown in the morning from Sahasradhara helipad in Dehradun. However, when the weather improved in the afternoon, a couple of sorties were made by private choppers which ferried about 17 pilgrims from Gauchar," Wing Commander (retd) Capt RS Brar, who has been entrusted with the task of overseeing air rescue operations, said.

The ITBP said it may take another three days to resume the evacuation process. The IMD has predicted heavy rainfall (up to 25 cm) in one or two places in Uttarakhand during the next 72 hours.

ban on unilateral rescue efforts

The Uttarakhand Government has decided not to allow any state to make unilateral efforts to evacuate its people stranded in the hill state in the midst of a war of words over claims that 15,000 Gujaratis were rescued at Narendra Modi's initiative.

All pilgrims safe

The worst is over now. All (pilgrims) are safe in Badrinath, Harsil and Gangotri. The Army, the ITBP and the NDRF are present there. It will take 2-3 days to finish the rescue work.