The Centre has despatched five teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and divers from Indian Navy, besides keeping Indian Air Force aircraft and helicopters on stand-by following the flooding of Rishiganga river after a glacier broke.
The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, on Sunday took stock of the situation and urged all concerned agencies of the Centre and the State to keep a vigil even though there was no more danger of flooding downstream.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were in constant touch with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, who rushed to the scene soon after the tragedy happened.
PM monitoring situation
Both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister promised the State government all possible help. “Am constantly monitoring the unfortunate situation in Uttarakhand. India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone’s safety there. Have been continuously speaking to senior authorities and getting updates on NDRF deployment, rescue work and relief operations,” the Prime Minister who was on a visit to Assam said in a tweet.
According to an official statement issued after the NCMC meeting, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary through video conferencing briefed the committee on the ground situation as well as the actions taken by them after the incident to evacuate people and to contain the damage caused by the flooding.
‘No further danger’
Similarly, the Central Water Commission (CWC) told the NCMC that there was no more danger of downstream flooding as the rise in water level has been contained. Also, there is also no threat to the neighbouring villages, it said.
However, the NCMC directed the concerned agencies to keep a strict vigil on the situation, and urged a team from Defence Research and Development Organisation, which monitor avalanches, to fly in the site for surveillance and reconnaissance. It also asked the NTPC Managing Director to reach the affected site immediately.
As per the information given to the meeting, as many as 12 persons trapped in a tunnel being built as part of a power project have been rescued by Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel while the efforts are on to rescue others trapped in another tunnel, which is being co-ordinated by the Army and ITBP. All out efforts are being made to ensure that all missing people are traced and accounted for, the NCMC told.
While two NDRF teams are en route to the site, three additional team are being flown from Hindon station which would reach the spot by Sunday night. Over 200 ITBP personnel are engaged in rescue operations while Engineering Task Force of Army was deployed with all rescue equipment.