Shantikunj Parivar to build damaged houses, schools in nine districts 
Haridwar, June 28
Haridwar-based Shantikunj Parivar has decided to build damaged houses and schools in the nine flood-ravaged districts of Uttarakhand.

Haridwar, June 28
Religious and spiritual gurus seem to be quite divided over the issue of Kedarnath shrine priest going for performing rituals of Lord Shiva at Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath. They feel until the flood-affected Kedarnath Temple area is restored to it's original condition, no such risk should be taken.

Some saints have come out openly against the shifting of rituals of Kedarnath at Ukhimath in ''yatra kaal'' when Char Dham pilgrimage tenure is going on.

Portals of Char Dham-Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath get closed during the onset of winter season. In symbolic terms, rituals of the idols of these four revered shrines are performed at Mukhba, Joshimath and Ukhimath, respectively.

But due to the natural disaster damaging the Kedarnath shrine and bodies lying in and outside the premises of the the revered Lord Shiva's shrine, a section of the saints has openly come out against the decision of priest of Kedarnath Rawal Bhima Shankar Ling Shivacharya offering rituals at Om Kareshwar Temple,Ukhimath.

Revered religious guru Shankaracharay Swaroopanand Saraswati of Jyotirapeethadeshwar said that offering of puja at other shrines was not apt, and emphasis should be put on cleaning the Kedarnath Temple premises first to pave the way for the regular puja.

Bhuma Niketan Peethadeshwar Swami Achutyanand Maharaj today held a press conference in which he supported Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati's stance of offering puja at Ukhimath as not religiously acceptable.

Citing religious scriptures, Vedas and other religious norms, Swami Achutyanand Maharaj said that at Kedarnath shrine the ''lingam'' is a naturally created one centuries ago. Offering rituals other than at the very original place was not right.

Swami Achutyanand has also sought permission from Rudraprayag administration to allow him to offer religious rituals and chanting of Vedic hymns at Kedarnath shrine from July 5h as part of ''shuddhikaran'' (religious cleaning process) at the revered shrine.

Akhada Parishad chief Shri Mahant Gyan Das has charged Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati of creating confusion through his statements on offering of puja at Ukhimath.

Gyan Das pointed out that in the winter season, at the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, rituals were offered to Lord Shiva idol at the revered Kedarnath shrine. For the time being, till Kedarnath shrine is restored to it's previous glory, rituals were offered at Ukhimath, there was nothing wrong with it.

Akhada Parishad chief added that till Kedarnath shrine premises was totally cleaned, puja should continue at Ukhimath.

Demanding that saints and priests should focus first on relief aid work, save stranded pilgrims and clean Kedarnath shrine, Swami Adokshajanand of Gobardhan Parvat has urged saints to concentrate on humanitarian aspects.

Rishikesh-based Parmarth Niketan chief spiritual guru Swami Chidanand has called the ritual row as uncalled for, urging saints to focus on immediate relief efforts for restoring normalcy in Kedarnath shrine as well as Badrinath, Hemkund, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi and other affected regions.

Adokshajanand said that emphasis should be on providing immediate relief to the pilgrims and local people and then offering puja and performing rituals.

Dehradun, June 28
The whereabouts of a two-year-old girl's parents, who was found abandoned after the rain fury, are still unknown.

She was brought to Doon Hospital four days ago. Both of her legs have fractures.

“We are waiting for her condition to stabilise. Efforts are being made to trace her parents. She is crying continuously. We will give advertisements in newspapers and channels to trace her parents,” said Kiran Ulfat, a member of the Child Welfare Committee.

Meanwhile, Child Line, an emergency helpline set up by the Department of Women and Child Development, with the help of which the child was brought from Rishikesh to Dehradun, has been receiving calls to enquire about their missing children.

“Five persons contacted us to enquire about their missing children. A couple from Bangaluru also sought help to trace their missing son," said Dwarika from Child Line. 

Haridwar, June 28
Haridwar-based Shantikunj Parivar has decided to build damaged houses and schools in the nine flood-ravaged districts of Uttarakhand.

The working executive committee of the Akhil Bharatiya Gayatri Parivar at a meeting presided over by Shantikunj chairman Dr Pranav Pandya took this decision today.

The organisation plans to do restoration and construction work in Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, Tehri, Almora, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Haridwar and Dehradun districts.

A disaster management expert team of Shantikunj will soon visit the affected districts and compile a detailed report of identified villages where the rebuilding work will be carried out.

The Shantikunj is collecting relief material and funds from Gayatri Jayanti till Guru Poornima to be delivered to the affected people. Community centres, schools and low cost affordable houses for the poor will be built from the Shantikunj relief fund.

A special “jap” is being held at Shantikunj under the guidance of Shail Didi, which will continue for 40 days. A 27 “kundiya hawan yajna” is also being performed amid chanting of Vedic mantras for peace to the departed souls and fast recovery of the inured people. The activists who are taking part in the yajna are setting aside one-time meal for the flood-affected people.

Haridwar, June 28
The Ganga canal, which was closed on June 18 due to the accumulation of silt following the flash floods and torrential rains, was opened late last evening and 7,000 cusecs of water was released into it.

The 272-mile-long canal starts from Mayapur, Haridwar, and stretches till Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Thirty per cent of the Delhi population and the majority of UP farmers get the canal water supply.

Subdivisional Officer, Irrigation Department (Ganga Canal), Uttar Pradesh, Veer Virendra Singh told TNS that 7,000 cusecs of water was released into the canal late last evening and round-the-clock monitoring was being done owing to the monsoon season.

He said the canal closure led to water crisis in Delhi. As the silt level came to below 5,000 part per million (PPM), water was released into the canal late last evening.

Meanwhile, the canal built by Britishers in 1854 will soon get a facelift.

The UP Irrigation Department, which is the operating agency of the Ganga canal falling in Haridwar, has decided to increase the width of the canal to cater to the growing demand of water for irrigation purposes.

Its current capacity is 10,500 cusecs, which be increase by at least 3,000 cusecs after the completion of this expansion project in the 6-km area of the canal from Mayapur till the Jwalapur stretch.

Dehradun, June 28
Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi today announced Rs 195 crore financial package for Uttarakhand for restoration of Char Dham Yatra routes in the state. Chiranjeevi was talking to reporters after offering his tributes to the defence personnel who died in helicopter crash in Kedarnath valley on June 25. Union Tourism Minister said Uttarkhand Char Dham Yatra kept much importance and Union Tourism Ministery had decided to provide Rs 195 crore package to Uttarakhand for re-construction and other restoration works of Char Dham Yatra routes. He said Uttarakhand had been advised to assess the destroyed and damaged tourist amenities and conveniences and come back with the requirement of funds for rebuilding the infrastructure. On examination of the demand, Ministry of Tourism will sanction funds.

The funds sanctioned in the relief package will be utilised for restoration and reconstruction of tourist infrastructure across the state with a special focus on tourist facilities along yatra route, which will be used for providing shelter to the disaster-hit pilgrims and tourists. Through a series of meetings held with the representatives of the hotel industry, tour operartors, travel agents and all other stakeholders in the travel and tourism trade since last week, the Union Tourism Minister is coordinating the travel trades donations to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for the reconstruction and rejuvenation of the tourism industry in Uttarakhand. The various tourism associations have instructed their members all over India to donate generously to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund and total collection is being tabulated. Chiranjeevi had earlier donated Rs 1 crore from his MPLADS funds 
for Uttarakhand.

Dehradun, June 28
The tales of people dying and getting swept away in the flash flood-affected areas of the state are haunting. Lalit Pandya, who came all the way from Devgarh Madaria,Rajasthan, to search for his mother, brother, nephew, maternal grandmother, maternal uncle-aunt and their two children who went missing from Rambara, recounts the tale narrated by his father after he managed to get back home. He was the only lucky one to go back in the entire group.

After nature wreaked havoc on June 16 night, his father and the rest 13 members of his family climbed up a nearby mountain to escape the surging floods on the road. When the family members were crouching to avoid the rain and stones, big boulders started falling down. When the torrential rain halted after three hours, his father realised that the maternal grandfather ,grandmother , mother's sister and brother had been crushed under the

bombardment of boulders. The remaining ones who were made to sit at some distance were nowhere in sight. That part had been swept and a gorge had emerged in that place. Pandya's brother, Anand Pandya, said that some pilgrims identified his maternal uncle and his son from their photos and said that they were lying injured in some bushes. The duo asked them to send for some help, as they were not in a position to walk any more. Pandya said his father was in great shock and talked of the incident time and again. 

Dehradun, June 28
Former member secretary of the Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board CVS Negi has expressed concern over lack of an environment policy in the state that is proving to be a dampener for effective mitigation measures to reduce human causalities in a situation like the Kedarnath cloudburst.

Addressing the media here yesterday, he said during his tenure as the member secretary, the board had in 2003 come out with an environment report for the state.

He said the report had recommended an environment policy for every department of the state government taking into account the fragility of the environment of Uttarakhand that gives ecosystem services to the country. — TNS

Dehradun, June 28
Word has spread that relief material was no longer needed in the state. Many persons are returning back to their states with the relief material.

Sardar Gurtej Singh, volunteer of SGPC, who came from Amritsar, said his two trucks filled with relief material were stopped at Rishikesh. Officials there said they did not require relief material any more. As he was already at Sahastardhara helipad to give free food to volunteers, he was told the same by the authorities here. He returned with the trucks back to Amritsar. Ranjan, member of Mountain Forum Himalayas at Rishikesh, said:''Earlier we had intended to send the relief material for the victims but now after hearing that the state had sufficient amount of relief material, we have changed our plans. Now we are waiting for the roads to be cleared so that members of our organisation can monitor the situation on ground zero and take a decision accordingly.'' Ravi Bedi, convener of Youth Technical Training Society, NGO based at Chandigarh, too, faced the same dilemma, but when he insisted on going himself with his team for distribution of relief to the affected areas, he was asked to seek permission from the district administration.

Dehradun, June 28
The relief distribution and store centre has started functioning from the Mahrana Sports College, and Secretary, MH Khan, has been entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the distribution.

Secretary Khan said that between June 26 and June 27 around 150 trucks had been sent to different districts in the state. On June 27, the trucks carrying relief were sent to Gauchar, Gopeshwar, Tharali,Barkote, Joshimath, Guptkashi, Chinyalisaur, Rudraprayag and Agustmuni. Further, today three trucks were sent to the Darma valley in Kumaon as the valley is facing food shortage. 

Dehradun, June 28
As rescue operations nears an end, Uttarakhand Police now faces daunting task of cremating thousands of decomposed bodies that too after undertaking an arduous exercise of keeping all records of bodies that include DNA sampling, documenting visible identification body mark and even keeping possessions of the deceased for future reference. A total of 5 police teams that include 7 to 8 personnel including forensic experts are camping at Kedarnath for conduct of cremation exercise.

Fourteen Uttarakhand Policemen are still missing in the catastrophe. The entire police department’s infrastructure stretching from Gaurikund to Kedarnath have been dismantled in the disaster. On an average a total of 70 to 80 police personnel are deployed from Gaurikund to Kedarnath during Char Dham yatra season.

Another challenge before the Uttarakhand police is the rising number of FIRs of missing persons. FIRs of 2645 missing persons have been lodged at Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri and Chamoli districts.

Uttarakhand Police personnel are also engaged in taking back the rescued pilgrims to Rishikesh. The police has been given the responsibility of ferrying the pilgrims’ up to Rishikesh. The department is also running relief camps at a number of places like Gaurikund, Fata and Gauchar and also assisting Border Roads Organisation in clearing up the roads of debris.