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THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2013 9 INDIA ‘We saw houses Thousands missing in Uttarakhand collapse as if they were made Manmohan announces Rs10b aid for state, Kedarnath temple closed for a year of cardboard’ DEHRADUN/NEW DELHI on its banks were evacuated. HARIDWAR/LUCKNOW Thousands are said to be Authorities closed the Akash and his three friends missing in Uttarakhand af- landmark double-decker watched in horror as a rain ter unprecedented rain and rail-cum-road bridge, built swollen river in Uttarakhand cloudburst led to landslides in 1868 and connecting the washed away their car, leav- and lash loods killing more capital to its eastern part for ing them stranded. than 100 people and leaving vehicular trafic. On their return to Harid- 62,000 stranded, oficials and In Haryana, the Yamuna war, they said they escaped survivors said. lowed above the danger the nature’s fury by taking Such was the magnitude mark and entered villages shelter at a private helipad. of the disaster that a worried in Yamunanagar and Karnal All four feel they have had Uttarakhand Chief Minister districts. In Palwal, nearly a second birth. At one time, Vijay Bahuguna said: “It is 350 families were shifted they had given up all hopes a calamity that has numbed from two villages. of surviving the rampaging me by its sheer magnitude.” In contrast, there was an loods in Uttarakhand that Bahuguna said that more unusual heat wave in north- have claimed over 100 lives than 18km of the mountain- east India. Sunstroke claimed and affected thousands. ous trek to Kedarnath, one three lives in Tripura, taking “We saw houses and hotels of the most revered Hindu the number of deaths due collapse like they were made shrines, had been ripped to excessive exposure to sun of cardboard,” recounted apart and it would not be and heat to six in the state in another survivor of a group possible for pilgrims to go one week. The unusual heat from Lucknow that went to there for at least a year. wave was prevalent across Kedarnath, one of the worst The full impact of nature’s the northeastern region. hit places in Uttarakhand. fury was visible as days of Madhya Pradesh Chief Even as the authorities, blinding rain, 380mm, some Minister Shivraj Singh Chou- with help from the Indo- 450 per cent more than usual, han has announced an as- Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) abated and the skies cleared sistance of Rs50 million to and the army, stepped up on Wednesday, allowing Uttarakhand. The Haryana rescue efforts, survivors from the army and paramilitary government also announced last week’s heavy rains, land- forces to rescue thousands of a Rs100-million assistance to slides and cloud bursts have pilgrims and tourists in the Uttarakhand. returned with harrowing devastated temple town of Manvender Vashist/PTI The Uttar Pradesh govern- tales. Kedarnath. The looded Yamuna lows dangerously close to the Old Bridge in New Delhi on Wednesday. ment also came forward and One survivor recounted Prime Minister Manmo- announced a Rs250 million how a girl walking ahead of han Singh and Congress been rescued. Home Minis- sistance of Rs100,000 each “The priority for the au- sponse Force, the army and stretches of mountain roads inancial aid to the state. them was suddenly swept president Sonia Gandhi saw ter Sushilkumar Shinde said would also be provided to thorities at the moment is air force joined the rescue disappeared in landslides, The premier oficers train- away in the lood. Appar- from helicopters the extent over 62,000 pilgrims were those whose houses have to rescue the stranded and efforts, using ropes to rescue rendering rescue work dif- ing academy of the paramili- ently, more than 100 people, of damage and destruction. still stranded. been completely destroyed provide urgently-needed those stranded in precarious icult. tary force Sashastra Seema mostly pilgrims, remain The prime minister granted “What chairperson UPA and Rs50,000 each to those succor to those most in need cliffs. In Himachal Pradesh, also Bal (SSB) in Srinagar in Gar- stranded near Sonprayag. Rs10 billion for disaster relief and I saw was most distress- whose houses have been of it,” he said adding the fed- The turbulent Manda- hit by heavy rain and cloud- hwal has been damaged in Shailendra Prakash Singh, in the state and said the death ing. While the most recent damaged. eral and state governments kini river swallowed huge burst, over 1,100 tourists heavy rain and loods in -Ut another survivor, says the toll could be higher than the estimates put the death toll The prime minister said he have deployed all possible swathes of land near Kedar- were still stranded in Sangla tarakhand with the prelimi- destruction was so sweeping oficial estimate of 102. at 102, it is feared that loss and Sonia saw the large scale Valley and Pooh. Around 70 nary estimate of loss put at that he was left only with the One oficial involved in the of lives could eventually be devastation that has been tourists were rescued. around Rs900 million. clothes he was in. Everything evacuation and rescue work much higher,” Singh said. caused in the lood affected In the national capital, the Claiming that thousands else he had was lost. said on telephone that they He said more than 10,000 areas of Uttarakhand. water level in the Yamuna of people have died in loods Rampati Ram Tripathi, for- feared that thousands might people have been rescued “Our hearts go out to the was near the 207.7 metre and landslides in Uttara- mer Uttar Pradesh president have perished in the rains and were being provided families of those who have ‘The priority for the authorities at the danger level, the highest khand, the BJP demanded of the Bharatiya Janata Party and lash loods in Uttara- food, clothing and shelter. lost their lives and those who since 1978, an oficial said.that the disaster that struck (BJP), is trapped in a Garhwal khand. “We are not sure of Singh said he has also di- have suffered injury or loss moment is to rescue the stranded’ One man died while bathing the hill state be declared a na- tourism guest house in Uttar- the number who have died rected all federal agencies to of property in this huge trag- in the Yamuna in north Delhi. tional calamity. “We demand kashi. Efforts are on to rescue but for sure the numbers are render all possible assistance edy,” he said. “The water level of the that urgent steps be taken him. much higher as more than in their domain to the state. Singh said assessing the resources to deal with the nath. Oficials said all the 250 Yamuna would reach 207.7 to describe this disaster as a He has told party col- 15,000 people are reported The prime minister also magnitude of the losses, immediate aftermath of the plus government and private metres, and this is the high- national calamity. Adequate leagues that he has been missing,” the oficial said. announced ex gratia assis- both in terms of lives lost ghastly tragedy. hotels and lodges and 100 est ever recorded since 1978,” attention on war footing stranded since June 15 after Manmohan Singh and So- tance of Rs200,000 each to the and houses destroyed, or the Home Secretary RK Singh shops around the temple Dharmpal, secretary of the be given for rehabilitation returning from Gangotri. nia Gandhi voiced distress families of those who have damage to buildings, roads visited Dehradun, the state have been lattened. Revenue and Disaster Man- and rescue operations,” BJP According to him, all major over the nature’s fury. lost their lives and Rs50,000 and other infrastructure, capital, to study the situation. Survivors returning from agement Department, said. spokesperson Meenakshi Le- roads have been wiped off The prime minister said each to those injured. was an exercise that will take The Indo-Tibetan Border Po- there said that they saw As the Yamuna swelled, khi said in New Delhi. the map. more than 10,000 people have In addition, ex gratia as- some more time. lice, the National Disaster Re- bodies on roadsides. Entire around 2,000 families living Agencies “There is no help coming our way,” he complained. “There is no power, no food. All that we have is shelter at this place,” he said on tele- Terror threat to Amarnath Yatra: Shinde phone. Advani ‘not well’, refuses There are more than 20 people from Lucknow and NEW DELHI The annual The nearly two-month- had said on Monday that the necessary steps to ensure over 30 families from Ut- to meet Mohan Bhagwat Amarnath Yatra is facing a long annual Amarnath Yatra army has received inputs that safety of pilgrims. “Consid- tar Pradesh who have been terror threat and the govern- is scheduled to begin on June terrorists might try to disrupt ering the security scenario, caught in the disaster in Ut- NEW DELHI A meeting Meanwhile, in a clear indi- delusions” of becoming the ment is making all efforts 28. The home minister said the Yatra. “Intelligence in- topography of the area, high tarakhand, informed sources between Rashtriya Swayam- cation that the tussle between prime minister. to ensure security of the pil- the government was taking puts which we are receiving potential of terrorist attacks said. Many were lucky to sevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mo- Advani and Gujarat Chief Kulkarni irmly maintains grims, Home Minister Su- precaution and sending ad- suggest that they (terrorists) on the pilgrims to create law telephonically alert their fam- han Bhagwat and Bharatiya Minister Narendra Modi in his article that despite his shilkumar Shinde said on ditional forces to ensure safe- have intentions to disrupt the and order situation through- ilies before losing the mobile Janata Party (BJP) veteran is far from over, the patri- age, Advani, 85, has still a lot Wednesday.