Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 1 (ANI): Amid heavy rainfall in Tehri and Rudraprayag districts, Uttarakhand Director General of Police, Abhinav Kumar informed on Thursday that the Kedarnath Yatra has been suspended for two days due to weather conditions and 12 NDRF as well as 60 SDRF teams are engaged in rescue work.
“We had received a weather warning for heavy rainfall in the state for 48 hours. Given this alert, police, NDRF, SDRF and local administrations were put on alert. After rainfall started last night, we started getting news of mudslides, rocks falling, etc., from different areas. In the night itself, teams were sent to several places for rescue and relief. All state & central agencies are engaged in rescue & relief. The CM has visited the Tehri and Rudraprayag districts and met the affected.
He also mentioned that till now, 11 people have died, and 8 seriously injured in different districts.
“Around 1000 people were stuck in Kedarnath till morning & 800 people were on the trek route there- work is on to rescue them. We have suspended the yatra for the next two days due to weather warnings. We have restricted the movement of pilgrims on the Yamunotri and Kedarnath trek routes. The state government has taken the help of the IAF and private helicopters to rescue those stranded in Kedarnath. 12 NDRF teams and 60 SDRF teams engaged in rescue work,” the DGP said.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted a ground inspection of the rain-affected areas in Tehri and Rudraprayag on Thursday.
Heavy rains in various parts of the state on Wednesday night have caused heavy damage to roads, foot-bridges, power and drinking water lines as well as agricultural land.
As soon as the information of the disaster was received, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami became active from the night itself and reached the State Disaster Operations Center at night and inquired about the damage caused by heavy rains across the state. He instructed the officials to remain in alert mode.
When Chief Minister Dhami stood on the front, his entire team also got involved in rescue and relief work with full force. In Rudraprayag district, the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police took charge of the rescue operation from late night itself. With better coordination of SDRF, NDRF, DDRF, District Police and Administration, about one and a half thousand passengers stranded on the Kedarnath Dham Yatra footpath and various stops were evacuated safely by 5 pm. (ANI)