With four more bodies of disaster victims being found at Bastadi in Pithoragarh on Monday evening, the search and rescue teams are extending their search towards the Chandrabhaga River below Bastadi as eight people still remain missing. With stench emanating from the decomposing bodies of cattle killed in the disaster, the authorities are also sanitising the area. All the national highways in Uttarakhand, including the Rishikesh-Badrinath national highway are now open for traffic.
Briefing the media on the current status, disaster management additional secretary C Ravishankar said that rescue and relief efforts have been completed in the disaster affected villages except in Bastadi where eight people are still missing.
Considering the considerable quantity of landslide debris in Bastadi, two mechanical excavators have also been deployed for clearing the debris with sanitation work also being undertaken amidst stench from decomposing carcass of cattle killed in the disaster. In the disaster affected Ghat area of Chamoli district where three bodies have been recovered so far, four persons are still missing. Ravishankar further informed that till July 4, a total of 282 roads were blocked in the state with 29 more roads being blocked later on the same day. Of these, 123 roads have been reopened for traffic with work underway for clearing the remaining 188 roads for traffic. He further stressed that all national highways including the Char Dham Yatra circuit are now open for traffic in the state. The Public Works Department has also been directed to upload data on Char Dham Yatra roads on the departmental website pwd.uk.gov.in from Wednesday.
Till date a total of 1184 villages/settlements had suffered disruption of power supply of which the power supply has been restored in 1087 villages with work underway for restoring power supply to remaining 97 affected villages. In Chamoli, power supply has been restored to 40 of the 90 villages hit by power supply disruption.
While most roads have been restored for traffic, a stretch of the Rishikesh-Badrinath national highway 58 blocked by debris at Bajpur (Kuhed) area in Chamoli district has been cleared to enable small vehicles to pass the stretch even as the pilgrimage to Badrinath is being facilitated through the alternate route Nandprayag-Saikot-Kothiyalsain-Chamoli.
A total of 51 other roads, mostly rural roads have remained blocked to traffic in Chamoli district while water supply remains disrupted in 31 locations. The authorities expect to facilitate resumption of the supply of drinking water and electricity to the remaining affected villages within the next couple of days.