The IAF flew 70 civil administration personnel to the Kedarnath temple premises on Thursday to clean the surroundings there after the area was ravaged by the recent floods in Uttarakhand.
Besides this effort, IAF helicopters flew more than 50 sorties to drop relief material in far flung areas of the State and evacuated 310 people. Army patrols were also providing assistance by escorting local population on foot where road stretch and the bridges were washed away. These places included Elagad, Tawaghat, Sobala, Chhirkilla, Bugdyar, Dharchula, Gothi, Dedang and Jibti.
Kedar valley is the one the worst affected areas and IAF and Army rescued more than 30,000 stranded pilgrims in the last ten days after the floods hit the State. The other places to bear the brunt of calamity were Badrinath and Yamunotri.
Meanwhile, IAF has pulled most of its 50 aircraft and helicopters from the state after all pilgrims were evacuated and now only 10 helicopters are deployed at some places to assist the State Government in providing relief material and look for any more stranded people, officials said. Incidentally, IAF airlifted more than 20,000 people during the fortnight long rescue operations and flew 2,500 sorties.
Army is continuing to maintain the troop level at 8,000 in Uttrakhand for relief operations since it was inducted there on June 18, officials said.