PrashantNews
The rescuers on Monday resumed their operation for the remaining odd 400 people from Kedarnath hills in Uttarakhand to cap one of the biggest rescue operations since the horrific 2013 deluge.
The army has also joined the rescue and reconstruction works in Kedarnath areas where big portions of treks and a couple of bridges have been wiped out in the heavy rains on Wednesday and Thursday that triggered cloudbursts, landslides and floods trapping nearly 10,000 pilgrims in different hilly areas.
The state government on Sunday night claimed that only 400 people have left stranded in the Kedarnath hills that include mostly priests, shopkeepers and mule and palanquin owners. Nearly 10,000 Kedarnath pilgrims have already been rescued so far in the past few days.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel are rendering yeoman service in Kedarnath rescuing hundreds of them from the arduous and steep terrains.
The authorities on Thursday launched one of the biggest rescue operations since the 2013 Kedarnath deluge after a big portion of the Garukikund-Kedarnath trek at Bhimbali wiped out. The centre also pressed chinook and MI-17 helicopters to rescue the pilgrims around the Kedarnath areas on Friday. Scores of pilgrim have been airlifted so far.
The SDRF Commandant Manikant Mishra has been camping at Kedarnath hills to supervise the rescue operation which is being monitored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
Chirvasa helipad where landslides have obstructed the operation of helicopters has been restored with the help of SDRF. The Chief Minister has also asked the top officials to start repair work for the damaged trek which has disrupted the yatra since Wednesday. The Kedarnath yatra has been suspended since Thursday.
At least 20 people were killed in cloudbursts, landslides and floods triggered by heavy rains since Wednesday in Uttarakhand.
Meanwhile, the army was assisting the administration to reconstruct bridges and roads at Sonprayag area.