Monday, 16 SEPTEMBER 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Most of the travellers stranded at various locations on the Adi Kailash route due to roads being blocked by landslides, have been rescued by helicopter. The pilgrims remaining in Narayan Ashram will be rescued by helicopter on Monday, officials said. Chief minister Pushkar Singh monitored the rescue operation while directing officials to conduct it on a war footing. The Pithoragarh administration, NDRF, SSB, Uttarakhand Police and Chipsan Aviation company were involved in the rescue mission. Commending all those involved in the operation, Dhami said that the safety of pilgrims is the top priority of the government. The government is committed to ensuring that people are able to undertake their journeys in a secure environment. Meanwhile, Disaster Management secretary Vinod Kumar Suman also reached the State Emergency Operations Centre on Sunday to monitor the rescue operation.
Officials informed that pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Delhi had recently left for Adi Kailash. Heavy rains on September 13 caused landslides near Tawaghat and other locations on the Adi Kailash route.Ten pilgrims from Punjab and one from Delhi were stranded at Khela while 30 from Tamil Nadu got stranded at Budi. On learning about this, Dhami directed Suman to rescue the stranded pilgrims by helicopter. On Sunday, 10 pilgrims were taken by helicopter from Khela to the army’s helipad in Dharchula. One pilgrim identified as Swadesh Nandchahal had died due to health reasons. His body was brought to Dharchula. The 30 pilgrims stranded in Budi were also brought to the army helipad in Dharchula. Some pilgrims are presently staying in Narayan Ashram and will be rescued by helicopter on Monday, officials said. The local administration has stated that the route will be reopened within two to three days. The CM has directed officials of the departments concerned to ensure that the blocked roads are reopened at the earliest, adding that strict action will be taken against those found negligent.
