With thousands still feared missing in various parts, the State Government on Friday set up a ‘Missing Cell’ headed by a senior official to collect and collate information being received from districts and various registration camps set up at the Capital.
Efforts are also on to scan all the photographs of these persons and return calls are being made to the relatives to find the present status of the missing persons. On Thursday, around 52 trucks carrying relief materials left for 10 sensitive locations in various districts while on Friday, 526 people were air-lifted from Harsil in Uttarkashi, where evacuation has been completed using five MI-17 helicopters. Around 500 people (200 by air and 300 by foot) were evacuated from Badrinath increasing the total number of evacuated people to 1,05,412, according to a Government release. More than 25 helicopters are in operations at present and 5,051 vehicles have been arranged by the Transport department to ferry stranded people.
While a medical team is undertaking DNA sampling of bodies at Kedarnath, water supply has been restored in Badrinath, Pandukeshwar, Govinghat, Ghangaria, Joshimath, Gopeshwar, Gauchar, Rudraprayag, Phata, Agastyamuni, Srinagar, Uttarkashi and other places. More than 2,300 personnel from water department are working to restore water supply in all the affected areas with more than 816 water supply schemes being restored. About 2,379 MT of wheat and 2,875 MT of rice have been sent to affected areas. There is no shortage of food in any affected area. More than 9 lakh litres of diesel and 4.76 lakh litres of petrol were made available to affected areas. The State has released Rs 103 crore for relief operations and district officials have been given a free hand to incur expenditure on rescue and relief operations.