Uttarakhand:Gujarat CM makes aerial survey for four hours

Dehradoon, 22 June 2013

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today described the dance of destruction that devastated Uttarakhans as a national catastrophe, and not just the tragedy of thousands of pilgrims and people of a state.

After making an aerial survey of the worst affected areas of Uttarakhand, devastated by heavy rains and floods for nearly four hours, he offered Gujarat Government’s all possible assistance to Uttarkhand in the rescue and relief operation of the people trapped in different parts of the valleys, and also in the rehabilitation of the local population.

Visibly upset by the distressing scenes of widespread calamity, Mr. Modi said that no words are enough to console pilgrims from all over India from the loss of their near and dear ones, and to share the trauma of the survivors. He said the loss of lives and property of the local people in the fury of floods is just beyond description. Breaches on roads and bridges and breakdown in the communication system made the rescue and relief operation in inaccessible and remote areas all the more insurmountable.

No sooner than the Uttarkhand authorities permitted aerial survey from Dehradun amidst not-so-friendly weather, Mr. Modi hovered over Rishiprayag, Devprayag, Tehri dam, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Badrinath, Gaurikund, Agastya Muni, Guptakashi, Joshimuth from 12 noon to 4 p.m. to personally acquaint himself with the extent of tragedy and damage across the hills and valleys. He found a large number of people were still stranded at places like Badrinath and Guptakashi.

Later, Mr. Modi reached the Gujarat Government’s Relief Camp at Hardwar, heard the heartrending experience of pilgrims and directed the high-level relief team from Gujarat to ensure fast and safe passage of the pilgrims back to their home. He also visited the BJP-run Relief Camp sheltering hundreds of people, and inquired about their wellbeing.

Mr. Narendra Modi is the first Chief Minister to visit Uttarakhand, even as he is scheduled to meet his Uttarakhand counterpart Vijay Bahuguna late in the evening to discuss the better coordination of rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations.