U'khand cloudbursts: Rawat asks for 'generous' help from Centre

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, who visited the areas affected by heavy rains and cloudbursts here today, said that the Central Government should generously come forth to help the state in times of calamity.

"There are lots of challenges for me ahead. Many villages and houses are in danger. The government has to do something. I have informed the district administration and we will do all this in a planned manner," Rawat told ANI.

"We want Delhi to help us so that we can start relief work soon. Over 350 villages are in danger. We need land and money to resettle people. The Centre should magnanimously help the state," he added.

Rawat earlier on Sunday chaired a meeting to review the ongoing rescue and relief operations in the areas affected by heavy rains and cloudburst.

The relief and rescue operation is going on at a war footing in the villages of Uttarakhand.

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 this job.

Meanwhile, Rishikesh-Badrinath national highway is still blocked at some places.

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.

Almost all major rivers in the state are flowing near the danger mark.

In view of this, the authorities have asked the people living in low lying areas to move to safer places.