The owners of mules and horses still stranded in the Hemkund area in Chamoli district protested here seeking swift and effective action regarding relief and rescue measures for the stranded animals.
They complained that the State Government has not done enough to even provide adequate fodder to the animals stranded in the area since June 16. They have demanded that a temporary bridge be built at Govindghat to facilitate relief and rescue measures. The horse and mule owners alleged that no efforts had been made to rescue the mules stranded at Ghangaria though the animals were starving. The fodder dropped by chopper in some areas for the stranded animals was inadequate and will not last more than a few days. The Public Works Department had attempted to build a temporary bridge to link Govindghat and Hemkund but without success.
On Thursday, the animal owners gheraoed the PWD Garhwal region chief engineer at Helang and brought him along to Joshimath. Zila Panchayat member Bharat Singh Kunwar alleged that the department officers were visiting the area simply for seeing the sights as the department had failed to undertake effective action. Inefficiency is delaying construction works in the area, he said. The owners of horses and mules fear that if the animals are not rescued in time, they will start to die from starvation, leading to major financial loss for the owners.