61 stranded persons rescued
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 10
A total of 61 persons, mostly pilgrims to the Gangotri shrine, were airlifted by Indian Air Force copters comprising two Mi-17 helicopters and one Advance Landing Helicopter (ALH). They were rescued from Harsil and dropped at Dharasu.

“For the past three days, 114 stranded tourists have been rescued by the helicopters. A pregnant woman was also part of the 61 persons who were moved out today,” said Piyush Rautela, Executive Director, Department of Disaster Management.

In Gajoli, satellite phone services have been established and to further strengthen the rescue and relief operations, 23 members of the White Army, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, have also begun contributing in the relief operations.

“As of now, it is very difficult to come out with the exact figures of the damage and the total number of affected families. We have completed the survey in Uttarkashi but in the villages of Sangamchatti, the exercise is still on,” said Rautela.

Along with the White Army from Kolhapur, a 50-member team from NDRF, Ghaziabad, has also joined in the relief operations. Volunteers from Sri Bhuwneshwari Mahila Ashram too are contributing in the relief efforts.

“We are looking for the bodies of people who have been swept away in the swelling rivers with the help of dog squads. So far, we have recovered three bodies,” said Rautela.

Significantly in Uttarkashi, 55 roads are now open to traffic and in place of 16 bridges that bore the maximum brunt, alternative arrangements have been made.

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain said efforts were being made to airlift the remaining stranded people from different parts of the affected areas.

Harsil had been totally cut off from the rest of the country after a big stretch of highway and bridges collapsed on Saturday due to cloudbursts and heavy rain.

Jain said the relief work in the affected areas continued on a war-footing with the Army, the ITBP and others working round-the-clock to provide succour to the affected people.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has asked Defence Minister A K Antony and Highways Minister C P Joshi for the reconstruction of the damaged highways on a war footing.

Bahuguna told Antony that Uttarakhand was prone to disasters of various kinds and the recent monsoon had wreaked havoc to the road infrastructure of the state.

Bahuguna urged Antony to provide sufficient resources, manpower and machinery to deal with the disaster.

A saga of courage and grit
Commendable job by 5 Garhwal Rifles in Uttarkashi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 10
The surrounding areas of Uttarkashi witnessed a cloudburst which resulted into numerous flash floods on August 4, 2012. The flash floods caused havoc, destroying innumerable houses and hotels in Uttarkashi, bridges of Gangotri and Sunder Gad were washed away and long stretches of roads were either broken or were covered by landslides. But jawans of the Indian Army braved all odds to provide relief to the affected people and tourists.

The natural calamity left the battalion deployed at Harsil being cut off from the rest of India. The effect was also felt at Harsil, where the water supply and electricity were disrupted. In spite of all the hardships, 5 Garhwal Rifles, in the true traditions of the Indian Army, rose to the occasion yet again under the guidance of HQ 9 (Independent) Mountain Brigade Group to provide humanitarian assistance to tourists from Gangotri to Uttarakashi. The Army did not wait for a written requisition from the civil authorities and took up this challenging task under bad weather conditions, risking their lives in order to reach out to the population.

On August 5, 2012, a team led by Major NH Dar was dispatched from Harsil on the National Highway to carry out search and rescue and also assess the damage. The team met all the pilgrims en route and apprised them of the situation and assured immediate assistance from the Army. The team after walking about 8 km on foot from the landslide location found that the bridge on Saundar Gad was washed away. This was not known by the civil administration and they were informed immediately. After assessing the damage and state of pilgrims along the NH uptil Saundar Gad, the Army decided to launch humanitarian operations in two columns, one for Uttarkashi and the other for the population up to Saundar Gad bridge. A medical camp under Army doctor Captain DK Saini started attending to pilgrims and locals at Dharali, Harsil, Gangnani, Sunagar and Thirang. A relief camp was set up at Thirang by the Army to provide shelter and food. A column under Lt Col Yogendra Chinwan crossed the Sundar Gad using ropes, risking their lives and headed for Uttarkashi to provide relief and assistance to people at Gangotri.

They reached by the evening on foot, covering a distance of over 30 km and immediately started their work without rest, displaying selfless devotion to duty. A quick recce was carried out of the washed away bridge.

A log bridge was constructed and 85 civilians crossed safely. The determined troops of 5 Garhwal Rifles helped people cross over. A relief camp was established at Thirang to provide food and shelter. The pilgrims and locals were happy to see the Army persons, who boosted their morale. It brought the much-needed relief and eased their tensions. They enjoyed the hospitality of the Army and relished the food provided at the camp.

On the night of August 7, 2012, information was received regarding aerial evacuation by Indian Air Force from the Harsil helipad. The relief camp at Thirang evacuated all the old, sick and stranded tourists along with women and children to the Army camp at Harsil by military transport on August 8, 2012. They were provided shelter, food and warm clothing by 5 Garhwal Rifles. A team of officers, JCOs and jawans of this illustrious battalion looked after the tourists from all over the country in a most humane manner. After a trauma of more than 48 hours, being stranded on road, people heaved a sigh of relief. Indian Air Force sprung into action despite of the volatile weather conditions. As the message for air rescue was received, team of 5 Garhwal Rifles reacted swiftly. Apart from the tourists sheltered with the regiment, all the stranded passengers from Gangotri, Dharali and Harsil were taken to the Harsil helipad of the Army. The tourists were prioritised on the basis of ailments, age and the critically ill. The old and the sick were given top priority followed by women and children. Three sorties by advance light helicopter (Dhruv) and one sortie by MI-17 were carried out by Indian Air Force. A total of 27 passengers were evacuated. Due to heavy rains, cloudy weather and windy atmosphere, further sorties were not possible.

The morning of Aug 9, 2012, came with bright new hopes, but reports of rain in Dehradun and nearby locations dampened the spirits. However, the determined pilots of Indian Air Force brought in four sorties of ALH and evacuated 22 passengers, including 12 foreign nationals. As of now there are 76 tourists with 5 Garhwal Rifles being provided all humanitarian aid, and relief work is in progress. One can notice the relieved faces of the tourists as the signs of panic have vanished all together.

Tiger death cases on the rise in state: WWF data
Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 10
Uttarakhand continues to be a troubled spot in the country in tiger conservation as the state is second only to Maharashtra in the number of tiger death cases so far this year. According to WWF Tigernet data on the mortality rate of tigers in the country, a total of 46 tigers have died in the country so far. Out of this, eight tiger deaths have occurred in Uttarakhand, which is second only to Maharashtra where 11 tiger deaths have taken place during the same period. Many cases go unreported due to confusion in its genuity.

The WWF Tigernet database comes as a collaborative efforts of the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Traffic India, the wildife trade monitoring body.

In Uttarakhand, the latest tiger death was reported on August 1 in the Terai West Forest division where an injured male tiger died during treatment.

The injured male was recovered from the Bailparav Range of the Terai West Forest division from where it was rushed to Nainital zoo but the striped cat succumbed to injuries.

Significantly, on June 5, an incident of burning of four cubs in fire at the Army's Remount Training School and Depot at the Ampokhra range, Terai West division, Uttarakhand, has been recorded.

Even in 10 recorded cases of seizure of tiger body parts in the country so far in this year, three are linked to Uttarakhand. The latest case was the arrest of Bhima Bavaria from Gurgaon. The Ramangar Corbett incident in early January in which tiger claws, whiskers, canines and bones were seized has also been referred to the Tigernet database.

The Wildlife Protection Society of India’s Uttarakhand head Rajendra Agrawal said tiger deaths in the state were certainly on the rise.

“The tiger death figures in Uttarakhand could be much higher as many cases go unreported and thus do not find place in the database".

He said the Uttarakhand forest authorities needed to closely monitor these tiger deaths and went on to find out the reasons in detail then terming these deaths as just natural or result of territorial struggle.

Further, the tiger death database revealed that Madhya Pradesh too has reported eight cases of tiger deaths. Six deaths have taken place in Karnataka, five from Assam and four have been reported from Uttar Pradesh.

Protest against Ramdev in Haridwar
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, August 10
A protest was held against Swami Ramdev's ongoing anti-black money agitation here today. Under the banner of the India National Trade Congress, protesters vented their ire over putting up of the poster of detained Acharya Balkrishan along with legendary figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad and Subhas Chandra Bose.

Terming the act a publicity stunt and cheap, district chief of INTUC Rakesh Rajput said Ramdev and Balkrishan tried to glorify each other so that people refer them as national personalities.

"Balkrishan is not like Chandra Sekhar Azad or Bhagat Singh. They laid their life for India's freedom while Balkrishan submitted fake documents to gain passport," said Rajput while burning his effigy at Chandracharya Chowk.

The organisation also termed the poster act as shameful, hurting the sentiments of people which were attached with the legendary personalities.

Mukesh Giri, office-bearer of the organisation, urged Swami Ramdev to concentrate on yoga and his social mission as ultimately it's these two things which made Swami Ramdev as global yog guru.

"Sitting on the agitation and calling on his followers, particularly Bharat Swabhiman Trust members at Ramleela Ground, don't make it a people's agitation. Neither a majority of common people supported Team Anna's movement, nor this one as people need food, water, shelter and clothes first, not the Jan Lok Pal Bill or the black money bill," said Giri.

Among others who addressed the protesters were Lalit Sharma, Rakesh Kumar, Sanjay Chauhan, Dr Praveen, Rajkumar Verma, Dara Singh Chauhan, Hitesh Singh, Sunil Kumar, Subash Giri, Vinod Saini and Rajneesh.

50,000 people of Champawat cut off
* Dist admn sounds alert in district
* Warning of cloudburst issued
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, August 10
Nearly 50,000 people of Champawat district have been cut off from the mainstream as nine main motor roads linking various localities inside the interior areas of the district have been closed.

The district administration has sounded an alert following warning of the possibility of a cloudburst in the next 24 hours, Champawat district administration sources said.

According to the sources, though the lifeline of Pithoragarh district has been cut, the national highway No 9 is operational from Champawat onwards. The people from both the districts face a lot of inconvenience as this road was closed for 5 hours on Thursday.

“The road could only be made operational when BRO engineers used JCB machines to remove the mud near Sukhidhank on Thursday," said Dipti Singh, ADM of Champawat district.

“The main link roads to rural areas, where the PWD workers are clearing the roads, are Jankande to Bans, Haram to Ramola, Thuvamauni to Bans, Dhauna Ghat to Bhinrara, Talla Bapru to Rosal, Garslek to Garsari and Danda to Medar motor ways," said the ADM.

“We have ordered the officers not to leave the district before September 15 till the monsoon recedes, and have also asked the officers at subdivisions to get prepared for any such calamity, round the clock," said Depti Singh, ADM of the district.

According to information received from Almora, the plying of vehicles between Almora and Kausani remained closed for 5 hours on Thursday as a portion of the hill fell onto the road near Someswar due to heavy rains in that portion of the district.

“The slides have now been removed and the traffic to Kausani has been restored," said KS Garia, a PWD engineer in Almora district.

Expenditure on water maximum in Pithoragarh
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, August 10
The Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan is spending Rs 33.17 on per kilo litre of drinking water to quench the thirst of the town as compared to other towns of the region as motors installed on pumps here have gone old and lifted less water than required.

According to Jal Sansthan sources, in Dwarahat, the sansthan spends Rs 26.2 per litre on water.

"We are spending Rs 6.78 crore annually to provide 5.6 MLD of drinking water to Pithoragarh," said JR Gupta, Superintendent Engineer, Jal Nigam, Haldwani.

According to Gupta, Pithoragarh is followed by Bageshwar town where it spends Rs10.48 crore per year to provide 12 million litres of water per day which costs at Rs 23.93 per litre.

Bageshwar is followed by Almora town where per liter cost of drinking water is slightly less at Rs 23, said the Jal Sansthan engineer.

In Kashipur, Rs 1.75 per liter on water is being spent, followed by Jaspur where the cost of per liter water being provided by the Jal Sansthan is only Rs 2, said Gupta.

The Jal Sansthan officer said even the towns of Didihat and Dharchula cost heavily on the public exchequer as per liter water available in Dharchula costs Rs 5.90, while it is same in Didihat town where 6 lakh liters of water per day costs the department Rs 21 lakh annually.

"The cost of per litre drinking water in the hill towns is increasing every year as old pumping plants of the sansthan are consuming more money on repairs. We have sent proposals to the government to install new pumps as by installing new motors, lifting of water will increase reducing the per liter cost of drinking water in these towns," said Gupta.

BJP lashes out at govt for poor disaster mgmt
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, August 10
The recent advice given by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna to people that they should sing bhajans to avoid the natural calamities has not gone well with the BJP that ridiculed the state government on the issue. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, on his way to Uttarkashi, lambasted the state government for its poor handling of the disaster relief work in the state.

Speaking to the media on his brief halt in Mussoorie, he said Vijay Bahuguna through his recent remarks, had proved his insensitivity towards the disaster victims. Koshiyari said more than 250 disaster-affected villages were still awaiting relief but the government had done nothing for these which was indicative of its callous approach towards the victims, especially in Uttarkashi.

On the contrary, BJP workers had taken a lead and were assisting the victims by providing the much-needed help in the form of food and shelter materials. Koshiyari said the BJP was not interested in playing politics over the bodies of the victims. But as the state government machinery had failed completely and shown its incompetency in dealing with the task, it was important to raise the issue on various platforms vociferously.

Diarrhoea in Asi Ganga Valley
Docs told to take preventive steps
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 10
After cases of diarrhoea were reported in the Asi Ganga valley of Uttarakhand, worst affected by the August 4 cloudburst, the Uttarakhand Government has asked health posts to step up vigil in the area and also asked the team of doctors to ascertain the causes behind the cases.

“At least, three cases of diarrhoea were reported in Gajoli in the Asi Ganga valley and these are isolated incidents and may have occurred due to consumption of contaminated food. We have asked the team to ascertain the ground situation and take preventive measures,” said DS Gabrayal, additional secretary and nodal officer.

DS Gabrayal said a team of doctors from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation had also been sent to Gajoli and medical teams had been stationed at Naitala, Dokri, Bangoli, Aghora, Faku, Tilok, Sangamchatti, Nauogaon and Akora.

Besides, Dr CP Arya, officiating Director General, said for better coordination, a central team had been sent to Uttarkashi that was keeping a watch on the activities of the teams and also establishing coordination among these teams and the headquarters.

UKD castigates state govt
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 10
The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (D) has castigated the state government on its failure to deal with disaster effectively in Uttarkashi. Party spokesperson Satish Semwal said foreign trip of six Cabinet ministers of the state government to London at the time of calamity in the state exposed the frivolous attitude of state government.

He termed the entire episode as shameful and unfortunate.