Uttarakhand Tragedy: Rescue Operation Intensifies

The widespread devastation caused in Uttarakhand, has shocked the entire nation. The official death toll from the rains, floods, landslide and cloudburst, has reached 207. Thousands are still missing, which fuels fear that the death toll could be in thousands when the picture becomes clear.

The rescue and relief efforts peaked up only on yesterday. Over 33,000 people have been rescued so far by the ITBP, Army, NDRF, BRO and Uttarakhand police personnel. Over 50,000 people are still awaiting help. It would take another 5-7 days to rescue all people, who are either stranded or trapped inside the debris. Even the dead bodies from the debris have not been pulled out till date.

Over 10,000 jawans are engaged in the rescue and relief work. 3,000 BRO jawans too joined the operation. 45 helicopters have been pressed into service to expedite the rescue operation. Kedarnath, Badrinath, Rambara, Joshi Math, Gauri Kund, Rudraprayag and many other areas are worst-hit. Many villages in Uttarakhand still remain inaccessible. Unofficial sources say that around 15,000-20,000 people may have been died in the disaster.

Over 1,100 roads, 94 bridges, thousands of houses, lodges and hotels were destroyed in the Uttarakhand disaster. Thousands of vehicles too washed away by the flood water. The Centre and many state governments have offered aid and assistance to the Uttarakhand Government to deal with the crisis. It may take at least 2-4 years to rebuild Uttarakhand.

Donations and Aids:

Prime Minister (Centre): Rs 1,000 crore
Jairam Ramesh (Rural Development Ministry): Rs 340 crore
Uttar Pradesh: Rs 25 crore
Maharashtra: Rs 10 crore
Haryana: Rs 10 crore
Chhattisgarh: Rs 5 crore
Madhya Pradesh: Rs 5 crore
Bihar: Rs 5 crore
Odisha: Rs 5 crore
Jharkhand: Rs 5 crore
Shatrughan Sinha (BJP MP): Rs 50 lakh
Rajasthan: Rs 2 crore
Gujarat: Rs 2 crore
Jammu & Kashmir: Rs 1 crore
Chhatttisgarh BJP MPs, MLAs, Mayors, Corporators and other Elected Representatives: A Month’s Salary.