Rishikesh/Chandigarh, June 24, 2013: Rescue operations to evacuate the pilgrims from the flood ravaged area of Uttarakhand have been further expedited and all the pilgrims stranded over there have been safely evacuated from Sri Hemkunt Sahib.
According to the Housing and Urban Development Secretary A. Venu Parsad, who was stationed at Rishikesh to oversee the entire relief and rehabilitation operations of the pilgrims from Punjab till last night five thousand pilgrims have been safely dispatched to Punjab. Majority of the pilgrims from Punjab went to pay obeisance at Sri Hemkunt Sahib and every single pilgrim from that area has been evacuated.
Divulging the details of rescue operations, DIG Punjab Police Khubi Ram said that a fleet of 36 Mini Buses has been moved for Joshi Math from Rishikesh. He said that the Punjab Government has set up a base camp at Gurdwara Sahib in Rishikesh and the pilgrims from the flood hit areas were being transporting on mini buses/trax vehicles to the base camp. The distance from Rishikesh to Joshi Math is 248 km which is totally hilly terrain. He further said that the Punjab Police was setting up its own wireless system at Joshi Math to ease out the communication network. The Punjab Government has also set up another base camp at railway station Rishikesh, where the rescued pilgrims have been extended much needed medical treatment and other relief material. From this base camp the pilgrims were being dispatched to the various parts of the Punjab through the state roadways buses. Relief operations at this base camp were in full swing and manned by the Punjab Police personal. A helicopter has been pressed into service for bringing the pilgrims, who had been trapped in these areas to Joshi Math. Needy Pilgrims were being provided with every kind of basic and necessary facility at the base camps set up at Rishikesh and Joshi Math.
A.Venu Parshad has been supervising the rescue operations. He said that the Punjab Government has stationed 10 ambulances at Joshi Math and Rishikesh to provide immediate first aid to the critical injured and other serious pilgrims and to ferry them to the nearby hospitals. Besides the relief camp of Punjab Government, several social and voluntary organisations and people from Punjab villages have been organising Langars along the way from Rishikesh to Joshi Math. Parshad has been closely monitoring the rescue operations and regularly convene meeting of senior officers at 10:30 am, every day.
Both the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal were being updated by the senior officers deputed in Rishikesh and Joshimath about the ongoing rescue operations in Uttarakhand. The Chief Minister has directed his Special Principal Secretary Gaggandeep Singh Brar to be in constant touch with these officers stationed in Uttarakhand to ensure the smooth rescue operations besides providing the required logistics.