DEHRADUN: At least 18 people have been missing after a cloudburst and landslides along the Kedarnath pedestrian route late Wednesday night, state government sources said. Uttarakhand has broken its 58-year rainfall record, according to the Meteorological Centre.
The IAF’s Chinook and MI17 helicopters joined the rescue operations on Friday to evacuate pilgrims still stranded on the trek route to Kedarnath. Drones are being pressed into service to assess the situation and plan steps after a landslide damaged a 2-km alternative rescue path on the Sonprayag-Gaurikund hill route.
“Heavy rain has caused extensive damage. The entire government machinery, the NDRF, SDRF, district administration and the state’s disaster management department are engaged in the rescue work. On my request to the PMO, the IAF’s Chinook and MI17 helicopters have joined the rescue operations,” said Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday spoke to Dhami to enquire about the relief and rescue operations underway in the wake of damage caused by heavy rain in the state.
Dhami said the home minister was given detailed information about the operations that are being carried out on war footing in the rain-hit areas.
The CM said since the start of rescue operations on Thursday morning, 5,000 people have been evacuated to safety.
Rains and road closures have left over 1,000 pilgrims stranded at Kedarnath Dham, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) sources said. Speaking to this newspaper, Commandant of the State Disaster Response Force Manikant Mishra said SDRF personnel conducted rescue operations late into the night and evacuated 450 pilgrims from the Munakatiya area to Sonprayag along the Kedarnath yatra route. “Rescue operations will continue until all pilgrims are evacuated,” Mishra said.
Director of the State Meteorological Centre Dr Bikram Singh citing data said July 31 saw a record-breaking rainfall in Dehradun with a 24-hour rain, shattering a 58-year record. Haridwar also witnessed the highest rainfall in the past 40 years.
Vinod Kumar Suman, secretary, Disaster Management in Uttarakhand, said 2,300 people from Gaurikund to Sonprayag and 700 people from Bhimboli and Lincholi to Guptkashi are safe in Kedarnath.
