A
series of major breakthroughs were achieved by the Army and the Indian Air
Force today, catalyzing thereby, the rescue and relief operations in some of
the worst flash- flood affected areas of Uttarakhand.
ARMY
All
the 500 people stranded in and around Gangotri have
now been evacuated. Barring 25 people, Gagariya on the Hemkund axis has
been evacuated. Weather permitting the
balance 25 will be evacuated at the earliest.
Army troops, skilled in mountain rescue operations, have established
contact with more than
1000 persons stranded in mountain folds in Jungle Chatti
between Gauri Kund and Rambara on the Kedarnath
axis.
Till
reports last came in, Army helicopters have evacuated 350 people so far and search
operations are continuing. Food and
medicines have also been dropped. Two
medical teams have now been
established at Gauri Kund to treat patients.
Besides, a composite relief staging area has been opened at Gauri Kund providing food, water
and medicines to the people.
Early
in the morning today, dedicated Army teams worked tirelessly to prepare a
helipad at Jungle Chatti which facilitated evacuation
from one of the most dangerous and inaccessible areas of Kedar
valley. This helipad is now being improved
to facilitate landing of Dhruv helicopters. Army also constructed two helipads at Gauri Kund.
Army
created history in Badrinath valley today when a heli-bridge was created at Govind
Ghat to transport pilgrims across the Alaknanda River.
Helicopters did shuttle service from either banks of the river as the
temporary crossing made earlier had collapsed.
Army
today operationalised the foot track between Govind Ghat and Lambagar on Badrinath road. Another column conducting road clearing
operations from Badrinath to Lambagar
successfully launched a foot bridge over Alaknanda
this evening, thus opening the foot route from Badrinath
to Govindghat. Road Govindghat
to Joshimath is open to vehicular traffic.
Army
achieved another milestone on Gangotri axis. All stranded people in Gangotri
have been evacuated. Road is now open
for light vehicles from Gangotri to Harsil. Due to a
series of landslides between Harsil and Uttarkashi, Army is now moving people using ‘Staging Area’
concept. Across all landslides, people
are being made to cross on foot and in between any two landslides, vehicles are
being used. Two staging areas at Sukhi and Gangnani have been
established to provide food and medicines to evacuated people.
Army
column reached Barkot on Yamunotri
axis today. The column would start
evacuating people from Yamunotri by tomorrow. As per the latest data, approximately 700
people are at Yamunotri.
In
Tawaghat – Dharchula axis
in Pithoragarh district, Army is in the process of
establishing link up with approximately 1000 people in Sobala
valley and medical teams and food has already been sent there today. Army column evacuated all 45 children who
were stranded at Pindari glacier in Bageshwar district.
Search operations are on to link up with 10 to 12 people stranded on Sunderdhunga glacier.
Eight
columns of Army have also been deployed in 08 districts of North Western
UP. 2500 people have been evacuated to
safer places in Pilibhit district and 260 people have
been moved to safer places near Palwal.
Army
has so far deployed 19 medical teams in Uttarakhand
with each team led by a doctor. 45 satellite phones have also been deployed in
various parts of the state to enable stranded people to contact their
families. More than 2300 people used
Army communication facilities to talk to their loved ones at home.
Army
so far has evacuated 18,500 people and deployed 10,000 soldiers for rescue and
relief operations.
AIR FORCE
In a very
innovative, yet daring move, the IAF today established an aviation fuel supply
bridge at Dharasu to give greater impetus to rescue
operations which were severely restricted due to non availability of aviation
fuel.
The first
C 130J aircraft landed at Dharasu (a landing ground
only 1300 meters long) in the early morning today for the first time despite
inclement weather. On landing the aircraft defueled
8000 litres of fuel into an empty bowser which was
airlifted yesterday from Sarsawa by a Mi 26
helicopter. With the availability of additional fuel now at Dharasu,
the extraction, evacuation and rescue operations have picked up pace and the
available helicopters are now able to make more number of trips.
Apart
from the carrying fuel to Dharasu, the first C130 J
on its return trip carried about 40 and the second about 100 injured and stranded pilgrims to the
safer plains of Air Force Station Hindan. An
emergency medical centre has been set up at Air Force Station Hindan for the medical check-up of all the arriving
tourists for immediate attention.
The first
two C 130J aircraft carried fuel to Dharasu while the
third is carrying a Medical team of the IAF to attend to sick people at Dharasu itself before they are moved out to safer place.
Having
paved the way for fixed wing aircraft landing at Dharasu,
the IAF pressed its An 32 aircraft also into action. These aircraft are
carrying Disaster Communication equipment vehicle, some more aviation fuel,
Sudan pumps for refueling the helicopters and 4200 kgs of bridging equipment of BRO. The heavy lift Mi 26
helicopter will also be airlifting the heavy equipment of BRO to facilitate
road repair and construction work.
While the
fuel bridging has given impetus to rescue operations, increased flying activity
in the narrow valleys is posing a new challenge to traffic management and safe
flying. IAF has inducted additional personnel to ensure smooth planning,
coordination and execution of flying operations, be it Air Force, Army or
civilian operators.
Today
since morning, till 3 o’clock in the afternoon, the IAF has flown about 149
sorties in which 26700 kgs of load and 1355
passengers were airlifted.
In all,
the IAF towards ‘Op Rahat’, has flown 768 sorties in which 103350 kgs
of load has been dropped/landed and 5347 passengers airlifted.
The
IAF is committed to using all the available resources to speed up the rescue
operations, especially in the face of bad weather forecast by the Indian Met
Department in next 36 to 48 hours.
N Ao/Veerendra
Singh/Sq Ldr Priya
Joshi