Dehradun : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took information about the avalanche near Mana village in Chamoli district and reviewed the relief and rescue operations. The Chief Minister reached the State Emergency Operations Center, IT Park Dehradun and held a meeting with the officials and directed to expedite the rescue operation.
Instructions to expedite the rescue operation
The Chief Minister asked the officials to ensure immediate access to the spot and directed to immediately activate the nearby helipad, so that relief and rescue operations can be expedited. He emphasized on making the monitoring and rescue operation more effective with the help of drones and helicopters. The Chief Minister directed that if needed, the injured should be brought to AIIMS Rishikesh through air ambulance. Also, instructions were given to maintain constant coordination with the district administration and provide all possible assistance to the affected.
Safety of avalanche affected people is top priority
Chief Minister Dhami told the media that ITBP, Army, District Administration, Air Force and other agencies are engaged in relief and rescue work. Due to bad weather and low visibility, helicopter operation is not possible at present, but the services of snow experts are being taken. Special teams of ITBP are working continuously. So far 47 laborers have been rescued safely, while the operation to rescue the remaining 8 people is going on. He said that the top priority of the government is to safely evacuate the people trapped in the avalanche. A helpline number has also been issued for the families of the affected people.
Coordination between state and central government
The Chief Minister said that the state government is constantly in touch with the central government and talks are also going on with the Prime Minister’s Office, Home Minister and Defense Minister. He assured that if any additional agency is required in the rescue operation, their help will be taken immediately. So far 10 people have been admitted to ITBP Hospital. The routes are getting blocked due to continuous snowfall, but with the improvement in the weather, the rescue work will be further accelerated. Coordination has been ensured between all the relief teams, and Mana helipad is also being activated. AIIMS Rishikesh, Srinagar Medical College and Gopeshwar District Hospital have also been kept ready.
The Chief Minister took full information from the District Magistrate
The Chief Minister took detailed information about the incident from Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari through virtual medium. The District Magistrate said that the avalanche occurred 6 km ahead of Badrinath Dham, where snow removal workers were present under the Border Roads Organization. Immediately ITBP, NDRF and SDRF teams got involved in relief work.
The Chief Minister assured
The Chief Minister said that the state government is fully committed to the safety and assistance of every affected person. All agencies are engaged in relief and rescue operations on a war footing, and soon all the stranded people will be evacuated safely.
