PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Uttarkashi
Despite the Uttarkashi district administration continuing with its search and rescue operation, the female trekker, who had gone missing on the Dayara Bugyal trek route in Bhatwari tehsil on Friday, remains untraced. The joint teams from the administration, police, Forest department and Disaster Management department were sent to the scene on the direction of the district magistrate Prashant Arya. Notably, Dayara Bugyal is a major tourist and trekking destination in Uttarkashi district, attracting a large number of tourists and trekkers from both India and abroad each year.
The district administration sources said that a three-member trekking team had left for the Dayara Bugyal trek on May 29. During the trek, one member, Babita Pandey, aged 30 years, had got separated from her companions. The administration received information about her disappearance on May 30. Upon receiving the information, the police control room immediately informed the departments concerned and subsequently, the district administration launched a search and rescue operation.
On Sunday, expanding the search operation further, trained NDRF and SDRF personnel were deployed, along with a dog squad and a drone operator team. Besides, additional teams of Forest department were deployed. Drones are monitoring Dayara Bugyal and the surrounding forests and ravines, while various teams on the ground are conducting intensive searches at potential locations.
The DM had earlier asked the officials concerned to conduct the operation on a top priority basis and utilise all available resources to ensure the safe recovery of the female trekker. “We are continuously monitoring the situation,” he added.
