Rescue ops in last lap

Venkat Parsa New Delhi: Rescue operations in the floods-ravaged Uttarakhand, now in the final lap, gained momentum on Sunday, as already one lakh people have been evacuated. The remainder operations are expected to conclude shortly. However, for another month helicopters will continue to fly to try and locate if any more people are left out. Sources say, supplying food grains to the affected-villages is proving to be an onerous task for the administration now, as trucks loaded with relief material are stuck at different places in the city in the absence of roads, which suffered extensive damage in the floods. Controversy over actual casualty figures continued to persist. While Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker put the death toll at 10,000, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde claimed it was only 900. The Uttarakhand Government has indicated that the exact casualty figure could never be estimated as several villages had been swept away. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has now admitted that 3,000 people are missing. If they do not return in 30 days then the next of kin can apply for and obtain compensation. Meanwhile, in another controversy, Uttarakhand Meteorological Department Director Anand Sharma claimed that warning was given as early as June 14. "We had issued warnings on June 14. The warnings were published in the local media and a press release was also issued. The Met Department had even asked the State Government to move people to safer places and had also advised the State Government to scrap the Char Dham Yatra," Anand Sharma said. This assumes significance in the backdrop of Bahuguna's claim that the warnings related to heavy rains did not indicate its severity and also that there was no warning for flash floods. More than 200 pilgrims were evacuated from Badrinath to Joshimath on Sunday in five choppers amid government claims of only 500 remaining there with enough food material, medicines and doctors to take care of them. The bigger challenge for the government after the rescue operations is the disposal of bodies lying in affected areas and transportation of relief material to people in the flood-affected villages. The road between Joshimath and Govindghat has been opened for vehicular traffic and carriageway between Kund and Chamoli via Okhimath and Chopta has also been set right. Roads between Guptakashi and Gaurikund and Uttarkashi and Gangotri are yet to be opened. The Army and the BRO, besides the State Engineering Departments have been directed to make the highways motorable and carve out mule tracks or footpaths wherever necessary.