On Saturday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari discussed the severe damage inflicted by recent heavy rains on the Kedarnath trek route and national highways. Dhami highlighted the urgent need for restoration work in anticipation of a surge in pilgrims and tourists after the monsoon. Gadkari assured Dhami of full support to tackle the situation.
Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey has been designated as the nodal officer to oversee the restoration of basic infrastructure on the Kedarnath trek route. Additionally, Dhami held a virtual meeting with officials to assess the ongoing rescue operations and directed the secretaries of the disaster management and Public Works Departments to visit the affected areas and accelerate the restoration efforts.
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Rudraprayag District Magistrate Saurabh Gaharwar stated that, weather permitting, it could take up to a week to clear debris and boulders from the trek route to the Himalayan temple. Repair work on a 150-meter stretch of the route, which has been breached, is scheduled to begin shortly.
Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman reported that efforts are ongoing to evacuate the remaining 1,000 pilgrims heading to the temple, with all evacuees being safely and properly cared for. Since rescue operations began on Thursday morning, 9,099 pilgrims have been evacuated. However, a state disaster management department update on Friday night indicated that 10,715 pilgrims had been evacuated since operations commenced on August 1.
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The Indian Air Force’s Chinook and MI17 helicopters are aiding the rescue efforts, which are expected to accelerate now that the Cheerbasa helipad, also damaged by recent rains, has been fully repaired and brought back into operation by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
