After searching for the stranded pilgrims between Gaurikund and Kedarnath shrine for the last two days, the possibility of people stranded in the Kedar valley is now nil.
The army authorities have rescued 20,250 people from the disaster hit areas of Uttarakhand, said GOC Uttar Bharat Area lt Gen NS Bawa. He claimed that several teams of army personnel have been deployed in the disaster hit areas for saving the lives of the victims. In order to carry relief work on war-footing and bringing back stranded pilgrims and victims to the safer place, the third phase of ‘Operation Hope’ has been launched by the lucknow based Central Command.
Special focus has been laid to repair and re-construct bridges for shifting rescued pilgrims to the safer place and resuming the flow of traffic along the Char Dham Yatra route.After admitting that inclement weather has been hampering their efforts in the rescue operation, lt Gen Bawa said that 13,825 stranded pilgrims were rescued from the Govindghat till date whereas 1763 were rescued from Badrinath.
“There is a possibility of more than 2000 people still being stranded at Badrinath shrine,” he said, adding that 368 pilgrims were rescued from Harsil and 1500 are still stranded there. After facing the brunt of natural calamities and land slides on the higher parts of Uttarakhand, the Army authorities are rescuing stranded
pilgrims using heli-bridge by shifting pilgrims from one side of river to another side. He claimed that heli-bridge was used on the river Alakananda near Pandukeshwar and 737 pilgrims were successfully rescued and rehabilitated at Joshimath. lt Gen Bawa told that army units have been converted to relief camps and pilgrims were settled they till they reach at their destination.
According to him, rope-bridges were made for rescuing pilgrims at Govindghat, Harsil, Ghagaria etc. He said that the help of para-commandos is also taken for rescuing the pilgrims at tough terrains of the State.