Dramatic images of Uttarakhand rescue operations

The Indian Army has launched what could be one of the biggest human rescue operations ever in the country, in Uttarakhand. The Army has mobilized troops for rescue and relief efforts, as it simultaneously reached out to over 8000 people on all four different axes, viz, Rishikesh – Uttarkashi – Harsil – Gangotri axis; Rudraprayag – Kedarnath axis, Joshimath – Badrinath axis and Dharchhula – Tawaghat axis in Pithoragarh district. It also opened road up to Uttarkashi after clearing 16 landslides.
Communication nodes have been established at Gaucher, Harsil, Joshimath and Rudraprayag to enable people to contact their families. 30 Satellite phones have so far been inducted, 20 more are likely to be inducted for use by stranded pilgrims.
Army is presently carrying out reconnaissance to examine the feasibility of making a larger helipad at Gagaria on Hemkund Sahib axis so that large number of people can be evacuated using MI-17 helicopter. Efforts are presently underway to repair the bridge over Alaknanda between Govindghat and Ghagria on Hemkund Sahib road.

11:38

Sources in the Uttarakhand government say close to 1,100 small and big roads in the state have been damaged and at places, roads have completely been washed away. Sources also say 94 bridges have been washed away and in Rudraprayag alone, 26 bridges have been washed away. Sources say it may take around 2 to 3 years to make completely recovery. [CNN IBN]

11:15

Thousands feared dead. Casualties in the affected areas may run into thousands as about 90 guest houses with pilgrims were swept away in the flash floods.

11:11

Army opens alternate route via Tehri to rescue the stranded.

11:10

BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu urges PM to declare Uttarakhand floods a national calamity, says he'll contribute Rs 50 lakh aid from MPLADS fund.

11:03

'Had it not been for the army, I'm not sure if I would be alive to write this' Had the army camp not been here at a height of 9,000 feet, I am not sure whether I would have been there to write about the worst nightmare of my life. Along with my colleague, Asit, I am among the 2,000 odd people stranded at this camp for the last six days at the Harsil army camp, about 70 km from the Uttarkashi town. Those waiting patiently here include 15 tourists from the US, UK, Israel and Italy. The sight of Indian Air Force choppers have provided a ray of hope since Wednesday and so have a couple of private choppers from wealthy families of Maharashtra, but it appears to be too little at the moment.... A flood victim's first hand experience

10:36

Three killed and several feared trapped after a three-storey building collapsed in Thane district early today. The Shakuntala building, located in Mumbra locality of Thane collapsed around 2:30 am, civic sources said. Six people have so far been rescued. Read more on NDTV

10:35

Rain and poor visibility hamper rescue and relief operations in Kedarnath. About 90 soldiers ferried to Kedarnath by choppers with food.

10:34

Angry relatives of stranded pilgrims block roads in Dehradun, accuse the government of being a mute spectator.

10:33

Dr Manmohan Singh@PMOIndia RT: PM's Appeal: "I request all citizens of India to stand with our distressed fellow countrymen." pic.twitter.com/uUpdixuLoP

10:02

The Chamoli District Magistrate, SA Murugesan, has told CNN-IBN that it will take at least five to six days to rescue people from Badrinath. He said over 5,000 people are still trapped in Badrinath.

9:47

It is nightmare that is unfolding in Kedarnath. With the rains letting up, the lucky few who have survived the nature's fury have horror stories to tell - of dogs preying on the dead, large swathes of land washed away by furious flood waters and of a number of tiny hamlets wiped off the face of earth.

9:37

"The Army has so far rescued more than 11,000 people, mainly from Govindghat and Harsil. About 10,000 people are also being provided food and medical assistance," an Army release said. 40 relief camps have been set up for those evacuated, however, nearly 62,000 people still remain cut off, officials said.

9:31

Comment From shanks  Plethora of us Indians is we have become so incumbent that we are not ready to face the truth. When lightening strikes US or earthquakes jolt Japan, they hold hands and stand up again, but we back here start playing the blame game, instead of helping the needful. These are the test times and we have failed like blunder in it. If still there is some sense left, join hands-bring back life to the needful, I've done my part now is your turn, you people who feel it was a man-made disaster.

9:30	Authorities so far have been unable to reach eight villages feared washed away by the weekend floods in the worst-hit districts of Rudraprayag and Chamoli, said Amit Chandola, a state spokesman.

9:05	Do you think the Uttarakhand flood is a man-made disaster? Yes  ( 83% ) No  ( 17% )

8:58	Do you think the Uttarakhand flood is a man-made disaster? Yes  ( 83% ) No  ( 17% )

8:55	It has been nearly three days since heavy rains wreaked havoc in the hill state, but even on Thursday India's top disaster management agency, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), could not give a time-frame within which those strande

8:51	The rains have stopped, but for the 50,000 plus people stranded in the upper reaches of Uttarakhand the nightmare continues.

8:51	Soldiers are being ferried by helicopter and are climbing through mountain paths to reach more than 5,000 people trapped by landslides in the narrow valley near the famous Kedarnath temple in the Northern Himalayas.

8:51	More than 150 people are reported dead so far from the "Himalayan Tsunami" in Uttarakhand, but at least 60,000 remain trapped in different part of the state. Officials say they expect the death toll to be in the thousands. The army says this is its largest rescue and relief operation ever. (NDTV)

8:49

Comment From Lalita Bisht  Flood might not be so devastating if the goverment would have controlled the construction in these areas. Still there is massive construction going on in the hilly areas of UK. If the growing population and construction in these areas which are really sensitive (especially- hill station and trekking as well as holy shrines of Garhwal region) would not be controlled, it may be devastating again in Future. Goverment seems to be least bothered about controlling migrants to these places.

8:49	Comment From Guest  its Totally wrong commitment by the youth of uttrakhand , but at the mean time the peoples of the said areas are doings just opposites, they selling thare goods 1000% costly thefting money braking

8:49	Comment From Guest  how is the climate now ?and is there any possibility for rain?

Friday June 21, 2013

5:48	Floods in North India: Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh says, "I am lucky to be alive." Bhajji and his family was saved by ITBP jawans and were taken to a safe place by IAF, even as several other stranded pilgrims complained that only VVIPs were being rescued first and common people ignored.

5:48	Floods in North India: The ITBP has deployed over 1000 personnel and 3 battalions to assist in rescue operations in the flood-hit areas.   Floods in North India: Connectivity is our biggest challenge, ITBP DG Ajay Chadha says.

5:47	Floods in North India: Medical camps have been erected to provide medical assistance and have dispatched ITBP medical team to assist in relief and rescue operations in flood-hit areas, says ITBP DG Ajay Chadha.

5:47	Floods in North India: This is no time for criticism, we will stand by Uttarakhand government, says BJP president Rajnath Singh.

5:46	Floods in North India: BJP president Rajnath Singh conducts aerial survey of flood hit areas in North India, takes stock of situation.

3:59

‘Relief, rescue top priorities’: The UPA-2 government at the Centre claimed that its priority was to focus on relief and rescue operations in the rain-ravaged hill state and "post-mortem can be done later". “It is not necessary to get into that. The post-mortem can be done later," Information & Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said, responding to questions on if the tragedy had been triggered by unregulated development in the hills.

3:58	3-day state mourning declared in Uttarakhand:  The Uttarakhand government has declared a three-day state mourning following the unprecedented tragedy triggered by landslides, floods and extreme rains in the state.

3:45	Press more choppers into service, says SC: Sufficient number of helicopters be deployed to rescue flood-affected people in the area, the Supreme Court ordered.

3:45	SC tells govt to step up rescue efforts: The Supreme Court has directed the central and the Uttarakhand governments to make an all-out effort to rescue people stranded in the state due to flash floods.

3:40	The Indo-Tibetan Border Police are rescuing tourists stranded in Chamoli.

3:40	R K Pachauri , chief of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, has held the builder mafia responsible for the disaster in North India. "Authorities should have acted earlier before waiting for it to happen. Government needs to be sensitive," he says.

3:40	IAF rescue operations underway in Hemkund, food supplies dropped.

3:40	Uttarakhand floods: River Bhagirathi deposits at least 10-15 feet of silt inside the homes in Srinagar, Uttarakhand. Workshops and warehouses here.

3:39	Uttarakhand floods: Flood-hit protesters heckle Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, angry that they did not get any relief from the state. Bahuguna had gone to oversee rescue operations in Joshi Math.