Sushilkumar Shinde to take stock of situation in Uttarakhand says 'Duggal to coordinate relief and rescue ops'

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Saturday said the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the paramilitary forces are doing their best to rescue those stranded in different inaccessible parts of Uttarakhand, and added that the government has appointed former Union Home Secretary V.K. Duggal as a nodal officer to coordinate the relief and rescue operations.

"The ITBP and the paramilitary forces are helping in the rescue operations. We have been providing all the helicopters needed. And we asked retired Home Secretary Duggal to coordinate the rescue operations," he said.

Shinde, who is presently in Uttarakhand to take stock of rescue and relief operations in the flash flood hit areas, said he has so far been taking stock of the entire incident from New Delhi.

"The Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi came here and they undertook an aerial survey. I sent the Home Secretary and my team here earlier. I also sent the disaster management team," he added.

Shinde is accompanied by officials of the agencies involved in the rescue operations in the hill state and other senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

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, which has been at the forefront of rescue operation in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand, has rescued nearly 16,000 persons. The army has also rescued over 1,000 people in the mountains between Gaurikund and Rambara in Kedarnath.

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.

In Joshimath sector, the army has constructed a temporary bridge across Alaknanda River near Govindghat to facilitate Hemkunt Sahib pilgrims to cross over.

A road link has been opened from Sonprayag to Gaurikund.

The ITBP personnel have so far rescued over 13,000 people.

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.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the tragedy has gone up to 556. In Haridwar, 40 bodies of those killed in the flash floods and incessant rains were found. The government has warned that the death toll could rise dramatically as flood waters recede and rescue workers reach isolated areas.

The distressed family members waiting for their relatives at the Dehradun Airport are angry at the administration. They said that they are being offered little information and assistance.

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.

The death toll is likely to go up as thousands are still missing.