About 73,000 people have, so far, been evacuated from flood and landslide-hit areas of Uttarakhand. Quoting official sources, our correspondent reports that 32,000 people are still stranded at different places.State Government officials say, evacuation in Kedarnath, Hemkund and Ghangharia will be completed today. The focus will, then, shift to Badrinath, where 9,000 people are stuck.
Principal Director General of Press Information Bureau, Neelam Kapoor said, the IAF has deployed its heavy lift MI-26 helicopters for transporting fuel and heavy equipment required by the Boarder Road Organization to clear roads closed due to landslide.She said, 55 helicopters have been pressed into service for rescue work.Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said, special trains are being run, and additional bogies added to existing trains to help pilgrims reach their destinations.In Joshimath sector, army has constructed a temporary bridge across Alaknanda river near Govindghat to facilitate Hemkund Saheb pilgrims to cross over.A road link has been opened from Sonprayag to Gourikund. About 1,000 people stranded in Gourikund are now being evacuated.Army paratroopers have also reached out to people stuck between Gourikund and Rambara.Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said that arrangements have also been made to send medicines to the affected people.
