As the holy land of Uttarakhand is hit by massive floods & landslides, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has said that the death toll from Uttarakhand is at 207 and is likely to rise further. The Home Minister was also reported as saying that 34,000 people had been evacuated, but added that a further 50,000 people were still stranded.
CNN-IBN also reported Shinde as saying that 34 helicopters were presently on rescue missions, but had pointed out a lack of coordination in relief efforts. “There is a problem in communication. VK Duggal has been made nodal officer”, he said.
Duggal will be in Dehradun from Saturday to coordinate relief efforts.
Government sources have told CNN-IBN that around 1100 roads in the state have been damaged a recovery may take at least 2-3 years. Sources also say 94 bridges have been washed away and in Rudraprayag alone, 26 bridges have been washed away.
Tourism Minister Cheeranjeevi has asked that the government declare the Uttarakhand floods as a national disaster inorder to raise adequate funds so the state can be restored.
While extensive rescue operations are on across Uttarakhand, some pilgrims stranded in remote areas are facing shortage of food and water. Rescue officials had earlier said that poor landing facilities and narrow valleys are hampering rescue efforts.
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