Dehradun: Death toll due to rains and landslides in Uttarakhand rose to 65 as rains and landslides claimed lives of at least five tourists in Kapkot’s Sunderdhunga glacier in Bageshwar district of Kumaon region, officials said today. One tourist was missing, an official said.
17 teams of NDRF and 60 teams of SDRF, 15 companies of PAC and more than 5,000 police and fire brigade personnel are still engaged in the entire operation and in helping people. The Central Government has already released an assistance of Rs. 749.60 crore as the Central share under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to the State. He further informed that more than 3,500 people were rescued and more than sixteen thousand persons have been evacuated to safer places as a precaution.
Union Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah today conducted an aerial survey to review situation in Uttarakhand following rains, floods and landslides, and held a meeting with the officials of the Central and State Governments.
He said that except three roads, traffic movement has started on most of the roads and relief has also started arriving wherever needed. Nainital, Haldwani and Almora roads have also been opened to traffic. Railway tracks have suffered heavy damage at one place and repair work has also begun. More than 60 percent electricity supply has been restored, people have started receiving pure drinking water and health facilities have not been disrupted. Besides, about 80 percent of the telephone network has been restored, he said.
Shah claimed that timely warnings by the Central Government helped in minimizing the loss of lives. He said that after the Central government issued a warning 24 hours in advance on October 16, 2021, a great amount of damage could be prevented due to the sending of alerts by the State Government and local administration to State Disaster Relief Force, National Disaster Relief Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Army, Air Force. He said advance alerts were sent to all mobile consumers on their mobile phones, so that unnecessary movement could be avoided. The pilgrims of Char Dham were also stopped where they were, before rains started and due to this there is no news of any casualty of any of the pilgrims of Char Dham and the yatra has now been started. NDRF, Army, ITBP, SDRF, State Response Teams, Fire Brigade were on the spot as they were on alert before the rains started. Helicopters were also available and they were also alerted before the rains, he said.
– global bihari bureau
