Uttarakhand on alert over possible exodus from quake-hit Nepal

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Government has asked the intelligence wing of the state police to keep an eye on possible mass exodus from Nepal to the state following the massive earthquake that hit the Himalayan country on April 25.

"We have alerted the intelligence network along the 275-km border the state shares with Nepal to keep an eye on possible mass exodus following the earthquake in Nepal," Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Ashok Kumar said here today.

Keeping in mind the devastation caused by the 7.9 Richter scale earthquake, Centre has relaxed rules regarding cross-border movement and ordered that people of any nationality be allowed to come into India from Nepal, he said.

However, no recent spike in the number of immigrants from Nepal to India has been noticed, the official added.

Unconfirmed reports from the quake-hit nation indicate that many people of Nepal are leaving their country after its infrastructure, especially the tourism sector, considered to be the backbone of the country, lie in shambles.

Intelligence sources have informed that the exodus is likely to affect the states of Sikkim and Uttarakhand the most.

Rescuers are still struggling to reach remote mountainous areas in the Himalayan nation, where relief efforts have been hampered by heavy rain and landslide even as global help poured in following the quake that has killed nearly 6,000 people and injured at least 11,000 others.