Govt puts number of casualties in June deluge at 4,247

The Uttarakhand government on Wednesday told the state Assembly that a total of 4,247 people were reportedly killed or are missing since the June 16-17 deluge in the hill state.

Amid fluctuating figures on the number of casualties, the latest statement by state disaster management minister Yashpal Arya in the Vidhan Sabha in a written reply to BJP state unit chief Tirath Singh Rawat could be considered the most authentic.

But officials maintained the figure could change again as the calculations are still being worked out. However, Arya in a separate answer to Rawat said a total of 4,116 people went missing in the June catastrophe in the state where nearly 71 relief centres are being conducted for the people affected by the natural calamities. Besides, 6788 animals and 6133 birds were also perished in the disaster.

On the first day of the Assembly session that began on Wednesday, Arya said nearly 35,000 people were airlifted from different parts of the state and another 1.5 lakh were rescued through different road links. This was also the first session of the house since the June 16-17 deluge.

Arya said all compensations related to the deaths/missing, injuries, disabilities, damaged houses and other things have already been distributed. In addition to the compensation under the disaster management Act, the government was also providing financial assistance in terms of rent, special monetary assistance to widows, students and distributing free ration to the affected people.

In reply to another question, the government said it was unable to count the number of pilgrims who had gathered at Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri at the time of deluge, as those devotees are not registered.

Arya said a total of 4116 people were missing in the floods which also include all those who were either still buried in debris or had been washed away in floods.