The Punjab Government has hired a private helicopter to airlift pilgrims stuck at Hemkund Sahib and its surrounding areas in Uttarakhand, while the Haryana Government has announced `10 crore towards rescue operations.
On directions from Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, the state government has also constituted a four-member team of officers led by K S Pannu to monitor the entire rescue operation and to ensure the safe return of Sikh pilgrims trapped at Sri Hemkund Sahib.
Punjab Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh along with his officers are in constant contact with the Uttarakhand administration to provide all possible aid towards the rescue operations.
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has announced `10 crore to the Uttarakhand Government to help the state as rescue and relief operations have been launched there following floods triggered by heavy rains. The Army on being alerted by the state government is ready with motor boats and life jackets to carry out rescue operations at Palwal, which is flooded by the Yamuna waters.
Additional Chief Secretary and Financial Commissioner Revenue, Krishna Mohan said that he had been monitoring the situation and was in touch with senior officers of the Army as well as the district administration. He said that in Palwal water had entered two villages of Mewlipur and Indiranagar affecting a total of 350 families who have been shifted to Achhej.
The representatives of Iskcon are helping the district administration in providing food and other essential articles to the affected people. He said that in district Yamunanagar, flood water has receded and situation is gradually attaining normalcy.
Mohan said that the people were climbing on the rooftops to escape the floods in three villages in Karnal.