Bad weather continues to hamper rescue operations in flood-hit Uttarakhand

Inclement weather and overcast sky continued to hinder rescue operations by the Air Force and the civilian helicopters in flood ravaged Uttarakhand on Wednesday.

The intense formation of clouds over the civil aerodrome of Dehradun did not let the pilots commence rescue mission sorties to Badrinath and other affected places in the state.

The choppers were all ready to carry relief materials for the stranded people.

Commenting on the weather conditions, Captain Deshmukh, a civilian pilot who was to take off early in the morning said that now it is a situation of 'wait and watch' with hopes of clear skies by afternoon.

"We have been waiting here since 6.00 a.m but the weather is playing spoilsport. That is why we are stuck here. It will be good if the sky clears up by afternoon. We will go after that. But till then we shall wait here," said Captain Deshmukh.

Meanwhile, the meteorological department has predicted moderate rains over several parts of the state for two days and that the rainfall could recede from June 28 onwards.

"As per the indications, we are expecting moderate rains. There might be moderate rains in the Uttarkashi area adjoining Himachal Pradesh. Most places will receive moderate rainfall," said Director of Meteorological Observatory at Dehradun, Anand Sharma.

"There might be heavy rains in a few places in southern Uttarakhand. The rains shall continue today and tomorrow. We expect a drop in the overall rainfall after June 28," he added.

The floods - triggered by unusually early and heavy monsoon over ten days ago - have inundated villages and towns, swept away vast tracts of farmland, buildings, roads and bridges and caused huge landslides in Uttarakhand.