Rescue work to take 2 weeks more, govt plans mahayagna
25 Jun 2013 5:29 AM IST
The Uttarakhand government plans to hold a mahayagna in the Kumbh city of Haridwar for pilgrims who died in the floods that the state on the night of 17 June. According to official estimates, the number of dead has already crossed 5000 and it was set to go higher as bodies continued to be recovered from under debris and from water. Since cremation and shraddh may not feasible for every dead pilgrim, the government plans a public prayer according to Hindu rituals. According to Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, the bodies being recovered from different places in the state will be disposed of as per traditional rituals, a mahayagya will be held in Haridwar on the tehraveen (13th day) of the tragedy.
This was suggested by the Sant Samaj when Bahuguna and union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde met them in Haridwar on Saturday. The Samaj has also requested early starting of daily prayers at the Kedarnath shrine. Bahuguna said the rehabilitation of Kedarnath shrine was top priority for the government and it will be carried out after taking suggestions from the Archaeological Survey of India. Meanwhile, rains on Sunday morning slowed down the biggest ever operation launched by the Indian Air Force to rescue pilgrims stranded in the upper echelons of Himalayas. According to officials, there are still 22,000 pilgrims stranded even as the jawans of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the Border Roads Organisation are working overtime to make the foot-tracks and roads operational.
According to the meteorological office, rains are set to return in a big way from Monday, which may hamper air rescue operations. About 70,000 pilgrims have already been evacuated so far from the worst-hit Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts. Operations on Sunday resumed after a brief suspension as there were moderate rains in Dehradun and Joshimath, official sources said. About 500 pilgrims may still be stranded in Jungle Chatti area of Rudraprayag district and efforts are on to evacuate them as early as possible, an ITBP official said.Â
Disaster management authorities have said the focus was now being shifted to Badrinath where nearly 7,000-8,000 pilgrims are still stuck, as Kedarnath Valley has now been more or less cleared of stranded pilgrims. ‘It will take another 15 days for the rescue teams to evacuate flood victims as the roads leading to the affected areas have been damaged badly,’ Bahuguna said.Â
Meanwhile, Haryana CM Bhupinder Hooda has offered to adopt and rebuild as many villages as Bahuguna wants, besides offering assistance of every kind the state government needs. ‘The state government would provide every possible help and resources needed for relief and rehabilitation of victims of the worst-ever natural calamity, and also in rebuilding as many devastated villages as Mr Bahuguna desires. We would also help in the reconstruction of temples and other structures,’ Hooda said.
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