U'khand cloudburst: CM Rawat says 'no need to panic'

With the cloudburst-like incidents in Uttarakhand increasing due to climate change, Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Sunday said the situation is under control, adding there is no need to panic.

"I will be holding discussions with district officials and other authorities today, but the situation is fine and there is no need to panic," Rawat told ANI.

Rawat also said he would meet the district authorities to discuss the ordeal of the people in wake of the heavy rains across the state.

He further said that few villages have been devastated after the cloudburst in the state.

"We have restored the roads in major areas. But as of now, the major problem is at Thal road and I hope it will also be restored soon," he added.

Rawat said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), Army, Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), the state police and the revenue department teams are engaged in the rescue operations.

"In Bastadi village of Pithoragarh, we regret that we couldn't take people out of their homes quickly after the worst-hit cloudburst," he added.

Meanwhile, the relief and rescue operation is going on at war footing in the villages of Uttarakhand following heavy rains and cloud burst.

The death toll in Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts of state has risen to 16. In seven villages including Bastari under Didihat tehsil of Pithoragarh, 13 people have been rescued alive from the debris and they are under treatment in the hospital.

Gangotri and Yamunotri national highways have also been disrupted at several places in Uttarakashi district. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the Public Works Department (PWD) personnel have been pressed into service to reopen all the three yatra routes.