Uttarakhand floods: Kedarnath valley is main focus, says IAF

The main focus of rescue operations is Kedarnath as there are thousands who were stranded in upper regions and are now moving to down to Kedarnath valley, a senior Indian Air Force official said. “It’s very difficult for our choppers to fly in the Kedarnath - Guptakashi valley as it’s very narrow. We are dropping food, medical supplies and doctors to them and our main focus is to get those stranded in that area out first,” Air Commodore Rajesh Isser told reporters. [caption id=“attachment_890195” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Kedarnath Valley. PTI[/caption] He further said that the three main affected valleys are Haasil, Kedarnath and Badrinath and critical rescue operations should be completed within the next 24 - 48 hours. Isser thanked the district administration and the ITBP for providing all necessary supplies. While rescue operations have been resumed today after weather conditions improved, limited landing facilities for aircraft is hampering rescue work. Director General of ITBP Ajay Chaddha said that there are currently ten private choppers and around 7-8 IAF choppers that have been pressed into service. As of now, they are enough as weather and landing conditions are limited. He also said that there was no lack of manpower for now and all rescue teams are working together, but rescue operations would be slow as a maximum of five people could travel during a sortie, limiting the number of people who could be transported. In the last 24 hours, more than 500 people have been evacuated and another 500 could be evacuated today. Meanwhile, the road leading to Uttarkashi, which was blocked due to incessant rains and floods, has been re-opened and thousand of stranded pilgrims are on their way out. Helpline numbers: Karnataka Residents’ helpline: 080 22253707 Tehri Helpline no: 01376 233433 Chamoli helpline no: 01372 251437 Uttarkashi helpline no: 01374 226161 Army helpline no: 1800-180-5558 / 1800 -4190282