Uttarakhand State Government Disaster Relief Operations Press Note

Uttarakhand State Government Disaster Relief operations Press Note

Date : 22-06-13 Time : 1:00 pm

• There was meeting of Chief Minister with Union Home minister, Union secretary and other officers of the state government, BRO, army, ITBP, Air force for an integrated approach. Efforts are being made to account for all the pilgrims. • Dr. Pankaj Kumar Pandey, IAS, has been appointed as the nodal officer for co-ordination works in Badrinath, Chamoli. • Mr. Ravinath Raman, IAS, has been appointed nodal officer for Guptakashi, Rudraprayag. • Shri. Sachin Kurve, IAS has been appointed as nodal officer for evacuation and relief works in Gangotri, Uttarkashi. • Shri. Deepak Rawat has been posted in Dharchula, Pithoragarh for the necessary coordination. • Shri Ranjit Sihna, IAS, who is presently posted as Upadhyaksh, HDA has been assigned with the duty of evacuation of people in Haridwar and arranging all logistics to arrange their transport to their respective home towns. He is also to arrange a relief camp for people to avail medical facilities along with food. • Shri Gunwant, PCS has been posted as SDM, Rudraprayag to give an extra hand to the existing machinery along with Shri. Harak Singh Rawat, PCS who has been posted as ADM. • Shri Hamsadutta pandey, PCS is posted to Gangotri, Shri. Shrish kumar, PCS to Harshil, uttarkashi, Shri Ashok Kumar Joshi, SDM, to Fata, Rudraprayag, Shri. Trilok Singh, SDM, to Gupta kashi, Rudraprayag, and Shri. Bharath lal firmal, PCS to Dharchula for co-ordination in the specific location. • 1640 Patwaris, 152 Kanungoes, 95 Naib tehsildars, 79 tehsildars are actively doing the relief works in the districts coordinating and using the help received from various quarters.

DGP Police has posted additional men for relief operations. The DIG of Garhwal is in Rudraprayag monitoring the rescue operations. Neelesh Barane, IPS has been posted in Rudraprayag for evacuation works, as he had served earlier in the district as S.P. One commandant has been posted in Kedarghati in Rudrprayag along with the S.P of (SCRB). Around 20 senior and middle level officers along with 2000 additional police force has been deployed for relief operations.

• The state government is providing each evacuated person with Rs. 2000 cash for any exigencies on their way back. Arrangements have been made for free railway tickets for the pilgrims back home along with provision of extra 2 extra railway coaches in the regular trains. • Helicopters have been deployed by the state government and requisitioned from the Air force too. On 22 nd of June the helicopters of the state have made 100 sorties evacuating 400 people. The airforce has made 33 sorties evacuating 400 people. • Jangal chatti would now be the focal point for rescue operations and major resources have been diverted to this area. • PWD has opened 549 roads for movement and has deployed 364 machines and 5775 employees for this work. • 600 PRD (Prantiya Rakshak Dal) personnel and near about 800 gram praharis have been deployed for relief works in various affected regions. PRD has mobilized the Mahila mangal dals and Yuva mangal dals for the relief works. The volunteers trained under District Disaster Management have been deployed in the affected areas. 2000 police personnel who have been specially trained in rescue operations during disaster have been mobilized and deployed. • 500 people from forest department have been deployed for assistance in evacuation works. • Movement of stranded people has started from Govinghat and Ghanghriya. People have started reaching from Ghangria. Already 2000 people from Ghangria have reached the camps. Only 250 more are left.

• 500 people were evacuated from Garunchatti – Kedarnath today . • A Helipad has been constructed in Garunchatti today . Evacuation from Jangalchatti area will start today . • Till now 73,000 stranded pilgrims have been evacuated till date from Rudrprayag, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Tehri and Pithoragarh. The state government has deployed 922 public transport buses for evacuation purposes • The 5000 pilgrims stranded in Badrinath have been provided with food packets, medicines as per requirement and stay arrangements have been made for them. • The Public Distribution System has made available in Chamoli o Chamoli ° Wheat-452 MT ° Rice-549 MT o Rudraprayag ° Wheat- 315 MT ° Rice -238 MT o Bageshwar ° Wheat-401.250 MT ° Rice-522 MT o Pithoragarh ° Wheat- 1210.432 ° Rice-1566 MT • On special request of the state government the oil companies have made available 9, 40,000 lt of Diesel and 4, 76,000 lt. of Petrol to the districts. • Sufficient food packets have been air dropped and distributed till now. Food packets are being sent to all the affected areas. Apart from that DMs have also started relief camps where food, shelter and other help is being provided. • The government has posted 150 doctors in the affected areas for immediate medical attention to the injured. Adequate medicines are made available in the camps. 1,00,000 chlorine tablets are sent along with

bleaching powder for preventing contagious diseases. The state government has mobilized 17 teams of doctors from Fortis and Gangaram hospital for assistance in the affected districts. • The water supply schemes of Chamoli in Badrinath, pandukeshwar, govindghat Ghanghria, Joshimath, Gopeshwar, karnaprayag, Gauchar has been temporarily restored. In Rudraprayag, the damaged water supply schemes of Rudraprayag town, fata, agasthmuni, Rampur and seetapur, and Ukhimath has been restored successfully. In Pauri, Shrinagar and Shrikot water supply lines have been restored. In Uttarkashi, the Uttarakashi town water supply scheme, badkot water supply scheme, Gangotri water supply scheme and Yamunotri water supply scheme along with Netala scheme of Harshil has been restored. For the maintenance of these supply lines and for provision of water through tankers 2320 personnel have been deployed in the site. • For reinstating the power lines 30 officers and 200 employees of the power department have been dispatched to the affected areas.

• SDRF has sanctioned 130 crores for Relief operations. • A team of Indian Navy along with divers has been deployed. • After opening of National Highway till 20th June 18000 people have been evacuated from Guptkashi, Phata in Rudraprayag and from Chinyalisaur, Nalupani in Uttarkashi District and they have been safely taken to Haridwar and Dehradun. • On 20th June approximately 1300 people have been evacuated from Kedarnath, Rambara, Badrinath and Ghaghriya and taken to Jollygrant and Guptakashi. 26 helicopters were deployed for this operation. • At present 4500 people are stranded in Badrinath and 3000 in Ghaghriya. Efforts are being made to evacuate them and there is no shortage of food for them. • Approximately 400 people are stranded from Gaurikund to Kedarnath and they are being evacuated and given relief by army, NDRF and local police under the command of DIG Mr. Sanjay Gunjiyal.

• In Harshil and Gangotri in Uttarkashi district 2000 to 5000 people are stranded and food is being made available to them. • As per the information received the death toll has reached 550. • On 22-6- 2013 sufficient quantity of food packets, water and medicine have been made available in Guptkashi and Harshil. • On 21-6-2013 till 2:00 PM 270 people have been evacuated from Kedarnath. • Evacuation is under way in Guptkashi, Badrinath and Ghanghria and efforts are being made to evacuate sick , old , women and children first. • As per the available information all the stranded people in Kedarnath and Ghanghria are being evacuated. • Many medical teams have been dispatched to remote areas and every medical team has 5 members in it. • More than 200 vehicles have been deployed to bring the stranded people to Haridwar and Dehradun. • Special train bogies have been added in Dehradun and Rishikesh to help the pilgrims reach their destination. • Free bus and train ticket are being issued to all stranded people for their respected destinations. For this special counters have been established in Dehradun and Haridwar. • All the stranded tourists have been allowed free access to all state guest houses as well as tourist rest houses of the state govt. • Special communication centers have been opened in Gaurikund, Gauchar and Phata. • Efforts are on to establish the mobile and landline connectivity in affected areas. • State Government officers of Drinking water and Electricity departments are working to restore these crucial supplies and they have already restored them in many affected areas . • Food , medicine , fuel and other supplies have already been sent to all affected areas and more supplies are being sent daily . Their movement is closely monitored by Senior officers of Health and Civil Supplies.

• Special Bowsers of ATF are being sent to Joshimath , Gauchar , Bageshwar and Pithoragarh to ensure that relief operations take place smoothly. • More than 250 JCBs and other machines have been deployed by State PWD to open the road connectivity. BRO has also deployed sufficient manpower and machinery to open their closed roads. Following roads have been opened : 1. Joshimuth-Karnprayag-Gauchor-Rudraprayag-Srinagar-Devprayag- Rishikesh (Via Srinagar Bypass – Chauras/Gangadarshan) 2. Pauri - Devprayag 3. Pauri-Srinagar 4. Pauri-Dugadda-Najibabad 5. Guptkashi-Mayali-Chirbatiya-Tehri 6. Uttarkashi-Chinyalisaur 7. Karnprayag-Ranikhet-Kathgodam 8. Dharasu-Barkot-Damta-Dehradun 9. Mayali-Tilvara-Rudraprayag 10. Ghansali-Tipri-New Tehri 11. Ghansali-Tipri-Devprayag 12. Tehri-Chamba-Rishikesh 13. Chamba-Mussoorie 14. Chinyalisaur-Suvakholi-Mussoorie-Dehradun 15. Tyuni-Chakrata-Sahiya-Kalsi-Dehradun 16. Almora-Ghat-Pithoragarh 17. Pithoragarh-Aslkot-Joljivi-Baluvakot 18. Bageshwar-Almora 19. Barkot- to Yamunotri (6 Kms) 20. Lumbgaon – Pipaldali-Tehri

Senior Officers of PWD Department are tracking daily progress of these roads .

• Senior Officers are overseeing day to day relief and rescue operations . In Garhwal area Garhwal Commissioner and DIG are overlooking field

operations in close collaboration with Army , ITBP ,NDRF whereas in Kumaon region Kumaon Commissioner and DIG are overlooking the relief and rescue operations . • Senior officers of State Government are present 24 hours at State Disaster , Management and mitigation centers to coordinate all rescue and relief efforts. • Special help line has been established and their numbers are: State Disaster Management Centre 0135-2710334, 2710335, 2718401-04. Fax- 2718400, 6555523, 6555524, Others : 09755444486, 09808151240, 09837134399, 999779124, 9451901023, 9456755206, 9634535758 • For more information please see the website where details are available http://uk.gov.in • Email ID : [email protected] • Haridwar Control Room Numbers. 01334-233727, 01334-265876, 01334-223999. 01334-226849 Contact Person- Dr. Naresh Chaudhary- 9837352202 • Police Control room numbers