Dehradun, June 25, 2013: Relief efforts are still on in flood-hit Uttarakhand where 97,000 people have been evacuated till Monday.

Still 6,000 are stranded. More than 25 helicopters and about 1,000 vehicles have been pressed into service.

The Public Works Department (PWD), by Monday, had deployed 5,775 employees and 364 heavy machinery for constructing roads.

A total of 549 roads, including the Joshimath, Uttarkashi and Guptkashi roads, which were blocked, had been declared open.

On Monday, 2,000 additional police personnel along with 6,500 Army and paramilitary personnel were undertaking the relief operations.

While people from Kedarnath, Jangalchatti, Ghangria, Gangotri and Guptkashi have been fully evacuated, more than 5,000 pilgrims are still stranded in Badrinath and some at Harsil in Uttarkashi district.

Special counters have been set up in Dehradun and Haridwar to give free bus and train tickets to the stranded pilgrims.

Water supply restored

Water supply was restored in many disaster-hit areas. Works to restore power in the catastrophe-hit areas are on.

While mobile connectivity has been restored in many areas, efforts to achieve full connectivity are on.

Though the officials claim that many medical teams have been despatched to remote areas and relief camps with food, medical and other amenities have been put at various places, many areas in Rudraprayag have been totally neglected by the government.

Anand Sharma, Director, Meteorological Centre, Dehradun, said: “In the next 48 hours there is a slight possibility of heavy rainfall at some places in Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts. Also, there will be moderate rainfall across the State for the next 48 hours.”

Source: The Hindu, DT. June 25, 2013.