Dehradun: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a Rs. 1,000-crore relief package for Uttarakhand after an aerial survey of disaster-hit areas along with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Of this, Rs. 145 crore has already been released. Calling what he saw “most distressing”, Singh said “the loss of life could eventually be much higher”.
The PM announced ex-gratia assistance of Rs. 2 lakh each to the families of the dead and Rs. 50,000 to the injured. In addition, Rs. 1 lakh would be given to those whose houses were destroyed and Rs. 50,000 to those whose houses were damaged. Other states such as UP, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi are also coming forward to help.
Congress leader said that Sonia Gandhi, on her part, asked the chief ministers of the hill states to expedite relief work and restore power and communication. She plans to visit affected areas and relief camps shortly once again.
Chief minister Vijay Bahuguna said that Kedarnath shrine was safe but “under a lot of slush and will remain out of bounds for one year”.
An official said that around 26 choppers were pressed into service and the army, air force, police, ITBP, National Disaster Relief Force and Sasastra Seema Bal managed to evacuate several thousand people including cricketer Harbhajan Singh.
400-odd roads and 21 bridges washed away through this disaster in state and vast swathes of land under water, it remained an uphill task.
Close to 70,000 people remained stranded or cut off in rain-ravaged Uttarakhand on Wednesday as the toll touched 150 and the rain finally let up after three days, helping authorities step up rescue and relief operations.
Report said that 182 persons died in this disaster and thousands are still missing. At least 28 people have also died in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Reports suggested Kedarnath shrine, where 50 people died in the landslide that accompanied torrential rains and flash floods, is intact notwithstanding the heavy damage all around.
Uttarakhand disaster relief minister Yashpal Arya said, “The Kedarnath temple is submerged in mud and slush. We just hope that it does not collapse.”
With no rains in the last two days, there were no fresh incidents of landslides and flooding.
Accompanied by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made an aerial survey of the worst-hit areas while union home secretary RK Singh also undertook a similar mission separately. Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde told reporters in New Delhi, “We are committed to rescuing everyone now that the rains have stopped.”
Reports suggested Kedarnath shrine, where 50 people died in the landslide that accompanied torrential rains and flash floods, is intact notwithstanding the heavy damage all around.
The devastation prompted the state government to announce cancellation of char dham pilgrimage for a year, the time chief minister Vijay Bahuguna believes it will take to restore normalcy on the road to Kedarnath shrine.
Nilabja Ghosh, an economist working on climate change and agricultural methods in Uttarakhand, said “If the weather office had issued an early warning then authorities would have had the time to restrict tourist movement and shift residents to safer zones.” “Temples, houses and bridges cannot be protected during flash floods but lives can be saved if early warnings are put in place.”
Ghosh is working at the Institute of Economic Growth in New Delhi.
Taking concern with this disaster in Uttarakhand, BJP demanded that Uttarakhand disaster shall be declared as a national calamity, the state government drew flak for allowing tourists and pilgrims despite the early arrival of monsoon rains.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply