Playing hide and seek, the weather curbed the personnel, landed in the disaster-hit Kedar Valley, to dispose of the bodies. The members could not landtill 1.30 pm on Tuesday near the temple to carry out cleanliness in the area as weather turned rainy from cloudy.
The police personnel observe that extricating the bodies is a challenging task. And disposing of the bodies is furthermore challenging as weather swings every three-four hours after. Some of the bodies are in such a mutilated condition that special efforts and equipments are required for their shifting.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) GS Martolia, in-charge of disaster relief works, said, “It is too difficult to work in extremely odd weather conditions. However, the teams are taking efforts to dispose off the bodies as soon as possible. Ground situation is very different due to weather.”
According to sources, the team members also found it too difficult to stay in the temporary camps due to stink from the mutilated bodies. “Eerie silence in the area adds horror to the air during night when pitch black dark covers the valley,” a junior officer said.
Apart from disfigured bodies stuck between the boulders and other spots attract wild animals during night. It also scares the team members. Some of the members of the team that visited the Valley few days back could not sleep. They were so scared that disturbed the sleep of other team members.
Martolia said that it was almost difficult to imagine the scene at spot in the valley. “Bad weather does not allow the choppers to take off from Guptkashi and other locations. As soon as weather improves, the choppers carry the team members to the valley,” he said.
He further added that the practical scene should not be ignored. “Disposing off the bodies is our top priority. For that regular efforts are on. While doing the task, we have to take care of security of our jawans,” Martolia said. He said that he would also visit the spot along with the team.
The public works department (PWD) teams would start clearing and repairing the way from Kedarnath to Rambara. Simultaneously, another team has been pressed into service at Gauri Kund to ensure the repairing and paving the way to reach Rambara. The teams, comprising police personnel, forensic experts and personnel from fire department, would extricate the bodies along the way and would dispose off them.
Though the PWD claimed that it would clear the way up to Rambara during next five days, officials associated with the disaster relief work don’t feel so. They said that it would not be easy to repair and prepare the way in such a short span. Disposing off work would catch up pace only after way is cleared and repaired.