Prayers organised in Varanasi for safe return of Uttarakhand pilgrims

Locals in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi city prayed for the well being of those people stranded in the calamity hit areas of neighbouring Uttarakhand.

Special prayers are being organised in this holy city of Varanasi on a large scale for the safety of affected people.

"We do not have a helicopter to go and rescue the people. But we have this spiritual path, which we have been following. We can pray for the victims' safety by chanting hymns while sitting here," said Avi Mukteshwara Nand, a priest.

Meanwhile, the family members of the flood victims wait anxiously for their safe return.

"My nephew and his wife went to visit four pilgrimage places a week ago. But since this calamity occurred, we could not contact them. But now for the past two days, we have been in touch with them.

"They are directionless and they do not know what to do. There is no helicopter available to bring them back," said Ashok Kumar, a relative of the stranded victims.

Nearly 27,000 people have so far been evacuated from the worst-hit area around the Kedarnath temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple at the top of the Garhwal Himalayan range has escaped major damage, but the area around is covered in debris.

Over 9,000 people are awaiting rescue in the holy town of Badrinath.

Evacuation of stranded people from flood-ravaged areas of Uttarakhand on Saturday picked up pace with the security forces rescuing 1,000 people, who were located in the mountains between Gaurikund and Rambara on the Kedarnath axis in rain-ravaged Uttarakhand.

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who reviewed the rescue operations in Uttarakhand in wake of the tragedy, today said operations are underway on a war footing to evacuate about 40,000 pilgrims still stranded.

Over 73,000 people have so far been evacuated from the flood and landslide-hit areas of Uttarakhand as rescuers intensified their efforts to help those stranded in different inaccessible parts of the hill state.

The army is reaching out to the civil population by providing food packets, establishing medical camps and deploying its technically endowed manpower, to ensure that the vulnerable bunds are strengthened and breaches are effectively plugged.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed 13 more aircraft for relief and rescue operations. 55 helicopters are being used in what is the military's largest rescue and relief operation ever.

The IAF has also deployed its heavy lift MI-26 helicopters for transporting fuel and heavy equipment required by the Boarder Road Organization (BRO) to clear roads closed due to landslide.

With the Meteorological Department warning of more rain and storms from Monday, the various agencies on the ground including the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) are operating with urgency.

Special trains are being run, and additional bogies have been added to existing trains to help the pilgrims reach their destinations.

The Uttarakhand Government has set up control rooms in all districts. These include: State Emergency and Operation Centre — 0135-2710334, 9897890981, 9152443853; Rudraprayag — 01364-233727, 9412914875 and 8859504022; Nainital — 05942-231179, 9456714092 and Dehradun — 0135-2726066, 9412964935.