The district administration has established the safety of 33 pilgrims of Proddatur who set off on Char Dham yatra on June 5. Officials are making efforts to locate 12 more pilgrims of Proddatur, about 30 of Jammalamadugu and over 100 of Rajampet who were feared stranded en route Uttarkashi, in-charge Kadapa district Collector K. Nirmala told the media  on Tuesday.

Ms. Nirmala alerted all the tahsildars to make enquiries about the pilgrims. Information was being sent to the National Disaster Management Agency as and when available, she said. Proddatur tahsildar, Srinivasulu, could contact one person named Mallikarjuna Reddy of Proddatur on his mobile and ascertained the safety of 33 pilgrims who stayed put in a lodge since three days, she said. They had food, water and power facilities. The tahsildar's enquiries revealed that about 175 persons of Rajampet and Tirupati had gone on the yatra.

An ophthalmologist named Y.V. Ramamuni Reddy, Panchayat Raj Divisional Engineer K. Lakshmi Reddy, his wife Sasikala, YSR Congress leader Kovvuru Ramesh Reddy, writer N. Ramachandra, and others named Vaddi Obaiah, Kothamidde Raghurami Reddy, Prabhakar Reddy, Bijivemula Sujatha, S. Subbalakshmamma, Ramana Reddy, Veera Reddy, Krishnavenamma, D. Chinna Subba Reddy and a retired teacher Rami Reddy, all of Proddatur, and Srimannarayana Reddy of Vempalle were safe in the lodge. The whereabouts of 12 others of Proddatur were not known, Ms. Nirmala said.

Officials on the job

District officials intensified efforts to help the stranded pilgrims of Nellore district return home from Uttarakhand. About 54 pilgrims from Buchireddypalem, Kovur, Gandavaram and Tatakula Dinne villages were stuck in the ghat roads for the last four days.

The pilgrims were, as of now, sheltered at a school on the outskirts of Doonda village, which is nearly 25 km from Yamunotri pilgrim centre.

Balu Subba Rao, a retired principal, told the press over phone on Monday that this was an unexpected development and even their private tour operator did not have any clue as to what could be done. “We are looking forward to immediate help.

As per our schedule, we have to reach Nellore by June 19,” he added.

Efforts to contact Mr. Subba Rao were in vain on Tuesday as his cellphone was switched off.

There was no communication with them as the officials here were of the view that the cellphones of other pilgrims might have been switched off as well.