CM visits Mana area, directs shifting of workers & tourists from higher reaches
PNS | DEHRADUN
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited Mana and conducted an aerial survey of the avalanche hit area on Saturday morning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called the CM and sought information about the rescue operation while assuring him of all necessary assistance from the Centre. Meanwhile, the CM has directed the shifting of workers from avalanche prone areas and tourists from resorts at high altitude locations to safer areas considering the potential for avalanches.
With the weather improving on Saturday morning, Dhami surveyed the avalanche affected area by air in addition to reviewing the search and rescue efforts at Jyotirmath. The CM also met some of the rescued workers and checked their condition. Returning to Dehradun, he reached the State Emergency Operation Centre of the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority where he discussed the rescue operation with senior officials. Dhami said that with 50 workers having been rescued so far, instructions have been issued to carry out the operation on a war footing to rescue the remaining five workers. PM Modi also took an update on the operation and assured Uttarakhand of all necessary help. Defence minister Rajnath Singh and Home minister Amit Shah are also concerned about the safe rescue of the workers and taking regular updates on the situation, he added. “The rescue teams succeeded in tracing five of the containers from where they succeeded in rescuing the workers. However, three containers could not be traced due to heavy snowfall in the area. The Army and ITBP are working on a war footing to trace these containers too with sniffer dogs also being deployed. A ground penetrating radar of the Army has also been sought from Delhi to help in tracing the containers under the snow,” the CM said.
Recounting his survey of Badrinath on Saturday, he said that there is upto seven feet of snow following the recent heavy snowfall. Considering the possibility of avalanches in the coming days, he has directed that workers deployed in such areas should be shifted to safer locations. Considering the possibility of avalanches after heavy snowfall, Dhami has also directed that tourists staying at resorts in Auli, Harshil and other high altitude locations should be sent to safer locations. He also appealed to the tourists to not travel to these areas for the next three days.
Dhami further informed that all arrangements are in place for treatment of the injured workers who are being treated at the Army’s hospitals at Mana and Jyotirmath while AIIMS Rishikesh, Srinagar medical college and the local community health centre and primary health centre have also been alerted.
