NEW DELHI, June 22: A massive operation for relief and rehabilitation of flood-hit areas in Uttarakhand is underway with nearly 73,000 stranded pilgrims evacuated from Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Tehri and Pithoragarh, AICC general secretary Ajay Maken said today.
As per information received from the Congress Control Room in Uttarakhand, being looked after by Sanjay Kapoor, Secretary, AICC, more than 18,000 have been evacuated from Guptkashi and Fata in Rudraprayag and Chinyalisaur and Nalapani in Uttarkashi and have been brought to Haridwar and Dehradun after the opening of National Highway.
The State Government has deployed 922 Public Transport Buses for evacuation purposes and more than 200 vehicles have been deployed to bring the stranded people to Haridwar and Dehradun.
Additionally, the BRO has also deployed sufficient manpower and machinery to open the closed roads.
Numerous medical teams having 5 members each have been dispatched to remote areas and the Government has posted 150 Doctors for immediate medical attention to the injured in the affected areas.
Adequate medicines have been made available in the camps and 1,00,000 chlorine tablets alongwith bleaching powder have been sent for preventing contagions breaking out.
On June 22, while the State Government did 100 sorties evacuating 400 people, those of the Air Force made 33 sorties evacuating another 400.
PWD has been able to open 549 roads for movement and has deployed 364 machines (including more than 250 JCBs) and 5775 employees for road clearance work in the area.
It has been decided that Jangal Chatti would now be the focal point for rescue operations and major resources have been diverted to this area.
The Power Department has put in place 30 officers alongwith 200 employees to reinstate power lines in the affected areas.
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who visited Uttarakhand, held a meeting with Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna alongwith Union Secretary and other officers of the State Government as well as officers from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Army, ITBP and the Air Force to ensure and implement an integrated approach in the ongoing relief operations.
The Officers have been directed to account for all pilgrims/ tourists even as relief operations are carried out in full measures.
Senior IAS officers have been specifically designated as Nodal Officers for coordinating various works in Badrinath, Guptkashi, Gangotri, Dharchula and Haridwar.
Apart from this, the PCS Officers have been posted to provide an extra hand to the existing machinery at various places including Rudraprayag, Gangotri, Harshil, Fata, Guptkashi and Dharchula.
In addition to this, 1640 Patwaris, 152 Kanungos, 95 Naib Tehsildars, and 79 Tehsildars are actively doing the relief work in the districts by way of coordinating and using the help received from various quarters.
The Police Department has put additional manpower for relief operations.
The DIG of Garhwal is in Rudraprayag monitoring the rescue operations while Shri Neelesh Barane who had served in the district earlier as SP has been specially posted in Rudraprayag for evacuation work.
One Commandant has been posted in Kedar Ghat alongwith the SP of SCRB.
Around 20 Senior and Middle level officers alongwith 2000 additional police personnels specifically trained in rescue operations have been deployed for relief operations.
In addition to the above mentioned, 600 Prantiya Rakshak Dal (PRD) personnel and 800 Gram Praharis have been deployed for relief works in various affected regions.
PRD has mobilised Mahila Mangal Dals and Yuva Mangal Dals for relief work. 500 people from forest department have been deployed for assistance in evacuation works.
Mr Maken said the State Government is providing each evacuee with an assistance of Rs 2,000 to cover any exigencies on their way back.
Arrangements have been made for free railway tickets for the pilgrims with provisions of 2 extra coaches in the regular trains.
Choppers have been deployed by the State Government in addition to those requisitioned from the Air Force.
Even as evacuation efforts continue, 5000 pilgrims stranded in Badrinath have been provided with ample food and medicines.
Similarly, sufficient food packets, water and medicine have been made available in Guptkashi and Harshil.
To augment the evacuation efforts and in tandem with the request of the State Government, Oil companies have made available 9,40,000 litres of diesel and 4,76,000 litres of petrol to the districts.
As per information received from various sources, the death toll has reached 550.
Senior officers are overseeing the day to day relief and rescue operations with the Commissioners of Garhwal and Kumaon Regions overseeing field operations, which are being conducted by the respective DIGs in close coordination with the Army, ITBP, NDRF, Air Force and the Border Roads Organisation.
Senior Officers of the State Government are present on a 24×7 basis at State Disaster Management and Mitigation Centres to coordinate all rescue and relief efforts.
The Congress Control Room in Uttarakhand is coordinating relief operations with AICC and other Pradesh Congress Committees.
Treasurer, AICC Shri Motilal Vora and General Secretary Ambika Soni will be going to Uttarakhand tomorrow to further coordinate relief work and related logistics. (UNI)
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