Court calls for status report on Uttarakhand rescue

Army personnel busy in rescue operations at Pindari glacier in Uttarakhand recently.

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the National Disaster Management Authority to file a status report on rescue operations carried out in the flood-affected areas of Uttarakhand even as the State government said the affected families would get free rations for three months or as long as they remained cut off from regular supply of essential commodities.

A vacation Bench of Justices A.K. Patnaik and M.Y. Eqbal was hearing a writ petition filed by advocate Ajay Bansal seeking timely relief.

The State, in its affidavit, said rescue operations for pilgrims wishing to be evacuated had been completed. Repeated announcements were made on the public address system for over three days to ensure that all persons willing to leave Badrinath were evacuated. Those who wanted to stay back were now in Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. They would normally remain there until the

kapats (holy doors) of the Badrinath shrine were closed for winter (in the first week of November). If they desired to be evacuated in future, the State would make arrangements.

Also, the government had arranged for distribution of sufficient stocks of foodgrains, kerosene and other provisions. Footpaths and mule tracks were being restored to facilitate quick supply of food materials and other essentials.

The telecommunication network was restored except in Kedarnath, says the affidavit.

The list of missing persons was being prepared and the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories were requested to provide details of those who were in Uttarakhand in the recent past and were missing.