Over 8,000 pilgrims stranded on Kedarnath trek route rescued: Officials
Officials from Uttarakhand’s State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), who are engaged in the rescue operation, said efforts to rescue stranded pilgrims at various locations along the Kedarnath trek route continued on Saturday
Dehradun/Mussoorie: As many as 8495 pilgrims stranded along the Kedarnath trek route have been rescued so far after heavy rains damaged the route on Wednesday night, officials said on Saturday.
Officials from Uttarakhand’s State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), who are engaged in the rescue operation, said efforts to rescue stranded pilgrims at various locations along the Kedarnath trek route continued on Saturday, and till 3pm, 1,101 people were rescued via the Gaurikund-Sonprayag alternative route, the Kedarnath-Chaumasi trek, and 414 using choppers.
A release from the state government said that chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is monitoring the rescue operation. Commissioner of Garhwal Division Vinay Shankar Pandey was appointed as the nodal officer for the restoration of infrastructure on the Kedarnath route on the directions of CM Dhami.
According to an order issued by the secretary of the Public Works Department, RK Sudhanshu, in response to the damage caused by heavy rainfall on the Kedarnath route, and to facilitate the rescue and restoration efforts, senior officials of the concerned departments will conduct a visit to the district, while the commissioner of Garhwal division will act as the nodal officer to ensure the effective implementation of rescue and restoration measures.
Rudraprayag district information officer Rati Lala said, “We have so far recovered three bodies from different locations along the Kedarnath route since Wednesday night.”
A team of the SDRF restored the Chirbasa helipad, which had been closed due to a landslide. The restoration of this helipad has provided substantial assistance to the rescue operations, said Manikant Mishra, Commandant, SDRF.
“The helicopter services from Chirbasa helipad had been completely disrupted due to a landslide caused by heavy rainfall. Our team removed large boulders from the helipad, making it operational again.....it is a significant relief for the rescue teams,” Mishra said.
“By 3:30 pm, we rescued 40 people from Chirbasa helipad,” he added.
Rudraprayag superintendent of police (SP) Vishakha Ashok Bhadane, providing an update on the rescue operation, said, “On July 31, the Kedarnath trek route was severely damaged at several points due to landslides caused by heavy rainfall. Ever since, the rescue teams have been carrying out operations to rescue stranded pilgrims. Many people were initially unable to contact their families due to the heavy rain and network issues.”
Dismissing reports that a large number of people are missing, the SP said that on the basis of information available with them, those who were earlier unreachable have reconnected with their families, and many have reached home after being rescued.
Bhadane urged the public not to believe any misleading information and rather to reach out to police for any information related to their stranded family members along the Kedarnath trek route.
According to officials, they continue to provide food packets to the stranded pilgrims along the Kedarnath route.
“On the third straight day, the district food and supply department distributed food packets among the pilgrims stranded in Bhimbali and other locations along the trek route. On the other hand, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) has also made food arrangements for the stranded pilgrims in the Kedarnath shrine area,” said district informatics officer Rati Lala.
Garhwal MP Anil Baluni conducted an on-ground inspection of the disaster-affected areas in Sonprayag on Saturday. During his visit, he conducted both aerial and ground inspections, checking on the affected individuals and those being rescued.
Baluni gave necessary directions to the district administration for the rescue of stranded pilgrims and local residents at various locations.
On Friday, Indian Air Force’s Chinook and Mi-17V5 helicopters were stationed at Gaucher to rescue the stranded people on the Kedarnath trek route and in Kedarnath shrine.