Fresh rain in Uttarakhand disrupts relief work

DEHRADUN: Relief operations were on Saturday badly hit by a fresh spell of rain at most places in Uttarakhand, including Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkhashi districts, with choppers carrying relief material not flying due to low visibility conditions.

Fresh showers in Uttarkashi district have swelled the Bhagirathi river once again prompting the administration to evacuate people living in the houses located on its banks to safe places as a precautionary measure, officials here said.

Chopper operations in Kedarghati in Rudraprayag district remain badly affected due to bad weather, delaying distribution of relief material in affected villages on the 20th day of the tragedy, District Magistrate Dilip Jawalkar said.

It received fresh showers yesterday making the administration issue an alert and advise people inhabiting banks of the Alaknanda to move to safer places.

Rain in Kedarghati has also slackened the process of disposal of bodies with only 72 of them having been cremated in over a week so far, DGP Satyavrat Bansal said.

Transporation of relief by air being the only option, the emphasis is now on repairing breached roads in affected areas so that the process could be expedited, officials said.

Chief Secretary Subash Kumar, who visited the remote and cut off blocks of Chamoli District, instructed officials to make sure that the roads open by July 15.

In view of the MeT department warning of heavy rains in the next 24 hours in parts of the state especially Nainital, Pithoragarh and Almora districts of Kumaon region, the administration is fully alert to deal with any emergency.

State Disaster Management Minister Yashpal Arya, who visited Pithoragarh, directed the officials to work on a war footing for relief and rehabilitation of affected poeple in the district.

Amid reports of tonnes of relief material stuck in government godowns at various places due to problems being faced in their transportation, a state government estimate claimed there is no shortage of food in any affected village.

Apart from the regular supply of civil supplies department more than 393 vehicles carrying relief material have been sent to various disaster-hit areas, it said.