State BJP president and leader of the Opposition Ajay Bhatt said on Friday that over 30 persons aside from several head of cattle have died due to the heavy rainfall that lashed many parts of the State, particularly Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts, on Thursday night. While conveying his sorrow over the death and the other losses suffered by the people, he said that the State Government has miserably failed to reach relief to the affected people.
Bhatt alleged that since Friday morning, he had been receiving innumerable calls from the distressed, asking him to do something. “Virendra Bisht from Maithanu village in Chamoli district informed me that the rain had wreaked havoc in the village. The administration did not reach the village 18 hours after the rainfall ravaged it. The same is the picture in other areas affected by the rain. The people in distress are crying for help with the rescue team remaining elusive. We have learnt that 20 people have died in Pithoragarh's Batsadi village. Ganga has touched the danger mark. The level of Alaknanada is rising alarmingly to the danger zone,” Bhatt said.
Condemning the State Government, Bhatt said that it had failed to rise to the challenge in calamity-struck Kedarnath. “The same picture is unfolding even now. The State Government is yet to imbibe lessons from the past. Much of the
suffering could have been avoided had they taken the weather department’s warning seriously,” the BJP leader said.
Firing salvo at the CM Harish Rawat, he said the latter is now busy helping his government come out of the present economic crisis. “He has no time to pay to the hapless people suffering the vagaries of nature.
While the State is facing disaster CM is making statements from Delhi. He is claiming that the condition is under control. The
reality is that the state has failed to take measures in advance of the disaster. I have appealed to the district BJP presidents to send relief to the disaster -affected areas,” Bhatt said.