Restoration work in Darma, Johar valleys needs Rs 500 crore: MLA
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, June 28
Dharchula Congress MLA Harish Dhami has said cut off villages in the Darma and Johar valleys and in Baram and the Dharchula area in Pithoragarh district will require Rs 500 crore for reconstruction. It will take months to reconnect these villages with main roads so that regular supply of essential goods could be restarted. “If further migration from border subdivisions of Dharchula and Munsiyari has to be checked, the government should immediately approve Rs 500 crore for the reconstruction purpose,” said Dhami.

The Congress MLA told this correspondent that Rs 20 crore sanctioned by the Chief Minister during his visit to the area recently is not for roads and bridges to be constructed in the area. The amount is only for the reconstruction of 1,000 houses that were completely damaged in heavy rains. “We are facing a big challenge of connectivity to the Johar and Darma valleys where villagers will have to spend next four months weathering rains. “Though the district authorities have sent ration to the godowns situated in these areas, which will last till June end, we have to rebuild bridges and roads so that we can get a proper supply of ration under the Public Distribution System in these villages,” said Dhami.

The MLA expressed lack of faith in the capacity of the Public Works Department (PWD) to complete the given work in time. He said the work of repairing local roads and constructing bridges be handed over to the Army or the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). “Even if this work is given to the Army the area can be reconnected only in six months. Otherwise, it will take at least six years for the work under a state agency to complete,” said Dhami.

On the other hand, District Magistrate, Pithoragarh, Neeraj Khairwal has claimed that he will open all routes to the Darma and Johar valleys in one month. “Temporarily, we will be able to open the routes in two weeks’ time,” said Khairwal.

Asked why some villages in the Johar valley were not getting relief packets, Dhami said unless the ground connectivity was restored all villages could not get relief material being dropped by the Army.

Dhami said besides the Johar and Darma valleys where roads and bridges had been completely damaged, nearly 20 towns and villages of Dharchula subdivision had suffered up to 50 per cent damage to infrastructure due to heavy rains. “We will request the central party leadership for the huge amount of money required to reconstruct these villages as the state government has no means to give the required budget,” he added.

Retrieval, disposal of bodies a tough task
Neena Sharma/ TNS

Dehradun, June 28
With the clock ticking away, the Uttarakhand government has an onerous task of retrieval and disposal of bodies still lying buried under the debris in the aftermath of the Uttarakhand disaster. The disposal of the bodies needs to be speeded up so that the cases where identification is possible are dealt with separately, the bodies are handed over to the relatives and it does not become a health hazard.

Though the Central agencies assisted the state government in the rescue operations, the task of retrieval and disposal of bodies is the sole prerogative of the state agencies.

The Union Home Ministry has issued an advisory to the government stating that the disposal of the dead during the current disaster has to be undertaken by the state according to the guidelines of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

“The task of physically dealing with bodies of the disaster victims needs to be handled by the state police by following the provisions of the Police Manual. If required, the police may be given additional assistance of home guards and civil defence volunteers,” said Vice Chairman, NDMA, Shashidhar Reddy.

On the 13th day of the disaster, the state government has managed to cremate around 33-odd bodies at Kedarnath, and keeping in view the time taken during the entire process, it will be some days before the entire process would be over.

According to the guidelines, the Central teams will not physically handle the bodies. They will provide and operate the cutting and clearing equipment that is available with them as per the requirements of the state government.

According to the guidelines, the emphasis is on maximum retrieval of bodies and for adoption of systemic approach for establishing positive identification of all the deceased before their final disposal. This includes collection of DNA samples to be collected from the bodies for matching purposes with the next of kin for which six laboratories have been identified. A forensic expert, Sanjay Das, from Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust, has been tasked to assist the state agencies for undertaking DNA samples.

Bad weather hits rescue operations, only 13 sorties carried out
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 28
Owing to bad weather, only 13 sorties could take place here yesterday. Choppers kept stationed at the helipad. Pilgrims' relatives became restless seeing that the sorties were not carried out despite the rain coming to a halt. Their resentment aggravated after seeing VIPs’ landing at the helipad in the same weather. They created a ruckus but were pacified by the authorities, which gave them the example of the recent chopper crash in which 19 persons were killed.

A pilot of Pawan Hans, on condition of anonymity, said he tried making one sortie in the morning but returned halfway due to clouds hovering over Joshimath.

He said pilots had been wary of making sorties in the bad weather, following two incidents of chopper crash within a week, and were now not ready to put their lives at risk.

Another pilot, of Global Victra Airlines, said he rescued 63 pilgrims from Menri and Bhatwari in one day and 68 on the second day from Phata, Matli and Dharasu even in the bad weather. However, the airlines authorities had now cautioned him not to undertake any sortie in the bad weather.

He said there were some stranded pilgrims in Badrinath, Joshimath and Harsil who were not ready to travel by road and waiting for choppers to evacuate them. Since he preferred rescuing sick, injured and elderly first, others created ruckus every time he went there, added Divekar.

Pilot Arvind Pandey, who is from Mumbai, said he had been flying for the past 27 years and worked with the Indian Air Force as well. He made some sorties yesterday also. “It seems God has chosen me for evacuating the victims. I had rescued people during the Tsunami, the Bhuj earthquake, the Kargil war and today I am here. It is an experience which prepares a pilot to deal with the bad weather,” said Pandey.

Pandey said he had been rescuing 100 persons every day since June 22. Another pilot, Jitender Singh, said, “Devprayag valley is full of clouds. I attempted one sortie in the same condition a couple of days ago but had to drop the pilgrims at some other helipad.”

He said the pilots had been risking their lives by making sorties in the bad weather, but now they had become cautious with two chopper crash incidents taking place one after another.

Money, influence work for rescue on priority, allege pilgrims
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 28
The tall claims of transparency being exercised in rescuing stranded people were falsified as some rescued pilgrims admitted to using influence for their evacuation on priority. Relatives of stranded pilgrims had earlier humiliated a pilot at the Sahastardhara helipad for allegedly taking money to evacuate some pilgrims first.

AK Bhatt, Forest Officer from Raipur in Chhattisgarh, said they took help of some influence people in their evacuation from Joshimath. He said, “After roads are reopened only healthy pilgrims are being left to travel by buses or other modes. Only a few select ones, who are not keeping good health or are injured or have good ‘contacts’, are being rescued by helicopters. Rather the last category (influential) is being given preference.”

Bhatt said he and his parents would not have been evacuated early had he not used his influence. He profusely thanked some people on the phone for timely help.

He added many pilgrims were evacuated by helicopters but left at Chamoli or other nearby places to be further transported by road.

A group of four foreigners, hale and hearty girls from Australia and Russia and two sadhus were brought from the ashram of famous Pilot Baba at Bhatwadi in Uttarkashi. One of them named Krisna (rechristened after she became a disciple of the baba) said, “We were doing well and had no problems in the ashram. But keeping in mind the impending danger the baba arranged for our evacuation.” She added many preferred to stay back in the ashram and had no problems of food or other facilities there.

The Tribune tried to contact the aviation in-charge, Sattiah, but did not respond. Administrative in-charge of the Sahastardhara helipad Naib Tehsildar Gurdip Singh refused to comment on the matter.

The relatives of the pilgrims have raised the issue several times that their family members, whom they could contact on phone, are deliberately not being rescued due to the use of influence and money in the rescue operations.

Gangotri, Yamnotri, Badrinath facing severe food shortage
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 28
Back from a tour of the rain-ravaged Garhwal and Kumaon division, Leader of the Opposition in the Uttarakhand Assembly Ajay Bhatt today said that Gangotri, Yamnotri, Badrinath and Dharchula were facing severe food shortage.

“The government should now focus on providing food supplies to these people who are completely cut off from the main road head. Bridges and roads have been washed out and the Yamnotri valley is completely devoid of people as most of them have taken shelter elsewhere,” said Ajay Bhatt at a press conference.

He said that on the 13th day of the disaster, the government had been unable to make any arrangements for providing food to the local population residing in these villages.

“In Yamnotri valley, around 30 villages have been badly affected due to the link bridge that was swept away in the rain. Thakral and Banal villages are completely cut off.

Bhatt said that the hungry villagers of Madkot valley, Johal valley, Darma valley, Bulova Kot valley in Pithoragarh are yet to catch the attention of the government. “The villagers residing here are facing scarcity of ration. On one hand there is no end to mismanagement of relief supplies, and on the other hand the needy are being forced to lead a hand-to-mouth existence,” said Bhatt.

He also said that the state government should lend support to the Badrinath-Kedarnath Committee for cleaning the Kedarnath Temple.

Bhatt said that while Kedarnath was being purified, puja should be held at Ukhimath temple.

Volunteers do their bit in service of disaster-hit
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 28
Despite heavy rain lashing the helipad, which has got waterlogged, staff and volunteers remain engaged in relief and rescue work. The staff, including policemen, aviation personnel and doctors, keep running from one place to another in the rain to bring rescued people from the helipad to the rest rooms, providing them with food and accommodation and arranging for vehicles, while there are some who are chipping in with philanthropic work, too.

Sudarshan Chamoli, teacher in a government school at Bagheshwar, has come to do his bit in this need of sorrow and grief. He said: “I am providing medical aid to the injured who are landing at the helipad and taking them to nearby hospitals. I also try to provide them solace in this hour of extreme grief. I am doing my best to do the task assigned to me at the helipad.”

Local lad Gurnam Singh, who left work at his jewellery shop to his brother in the city, came to the helipad to contribute in humanitarian work. He said: “When I see rescued pilgrims coming here with bruises all over their feet and fear writ large on their faces, my heart sinks. I have grown up listening to hymns in Guru Granth Sahib which say helping others in getting rid of their sorrows is the greatest service to humanity.”

Locals hurt in calamity being treated at Doon
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 28
The Uttarakhand government has finally turned its attention towards local people who were seriously injured in the natural calamity. Five persons with head and other injuries were brought to the Doon Hospital yesterday.

Bhagat Singh, a resident of Jhingori in Chamoli district, was hit by a boulder while he was shopping in a market. He had developed complication in his leg.

Earlier Bhagat was moved to Max Hospital but was later brought back to Doon Hospital. Banshi hailing from Tehri suffered serious head injuries after he was swept away by the flash flood.

Afzal, a resident of Clement Town, was brought to the Doon Hospital in the afternoon yesterday.

“All patients are being given adequate treatment at the trauma ward where a special ward has been created for the flood affected people,” said Dr Navjeet Bedi, Emergency Officer, Doon Hospital.

Psychiatrists counselling traumatised people
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 28
Two psychiatrists from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, reached Dehradun yesterday. They would be deployed in the devastated areas of the state.

“Already psychiatrist from Dehradun, Dr JS Bisht, and another from KGMIC, Lucknow, are providing services at Guptakshi and Badrinath Gauchar. Now two more psychiatrists from NIMHANS will be deployed at Guptkashi and Rudraprayag,” said Piyush Singh, Additional Secretary, Health.

Meanwhile, the Health Department has initiated an inquiry into the death of a woman from Uttarkashi due to lack of medical care, “The woman from Sangam Chatti was unable to reach the nearest health facility and died due to an acute labour pain,” said Puyish Singh.

Helipad turning into an arena of scuffles
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 28
The administration, which is coming under a lot of criticism by relatives of stranded pilgrims, volunteers or the media coming from outside the state, has not mended it's ways. The management of the entire Sahastardhara helipad has been given into the hands of an officer at the nayab tehsildar level. Every day scuffles take place in the helipad area.

Senior officers do not feel the need to check prevent the mayhem. Nayab tehsildar Gurdip Singh says: “It is not only me but the tehsildar and Subivisional Magistrate have also been entrusted the responsibility of keeping harmony at the helipad. They come here once in while and in their absence I am overseeing all the affairs.” These officers were never seen in the last three days, he alleged.

The Circle Officer, Swantantar Kumar, has been in the epicentre of each scuffle. His juniors, too, have stopped coming to his rescue any more.

Tamil Nadu donates Rs 5 crore
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 28
Special representative of Tamil Nadu Government STK Jakkaiyan today presented a cheque for Rs 5 crore on behalf of the state to the Uttarakhand Disaster Relief Fund. Thanking the Tamil Nadu government, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said they were grateful for the help.

Jakkaiyan was accompanied by Additional Chief Secretary TS Sridhar and Revenue Secretary Gagan Deep Singh Bedi. He said most of the stranded tourists from Uttarakhand had been rescued. “Around 670 people have returned back safely to the state, out of which 14 trekkers were rescued from Kumaon and now 6-8 tourists who were not able to return from Kedarnath are still missing,” said Jakkaiyan.

Dirty water enters houses

Dehradun, June 28
Dirty water entered some houses at Kargi Chowk in Muslim Colony yesterday after an embankment broke in Shanti Vihar. Crops were affected in Haripur where too an embankment broke leading to soil erosion. Utbir Singh of Pauri Garhwal was reportedly swept away at night two days ago.

Roads are blocked at Kasnoi in Chakrata, Minas Purodi Ravna, Damta, Amrar, Jhamrar, Kanda Apar, Lakhamandal, Barsi connecting road on the Chakrata-Bairar road, Chilhar Smalta Marg, Muna, Megad, Sikhad and Minas villages. The work of opening roads is continuing in Smalta, Sorna, Korina, Haiya and Arsi villages. — TNS