Flood-ravaged Uttarakhand to get $150,000 US aid

Aid of $150,000 (around Rs.90 lakh) would be given for relief work in the flood-ravaged state of Uttarakhand, US Ambassador to India Nancy J. Powell said Sunday.

The aid would be given through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to NGOs working in the badly hit areas of the hill state.

"The support will provide emergency relief to the families residing in remote areas of the state in coordination with the state authorities," said an official statement.

Powell, "on behalf of the American people, offered her condolences to the families of those killed and to those rendered homeless in the recent flooding and landslides in the hill state".

"We are deeply saddened by the tremendous personal loss and the damage to houses, public buildings, temples, roads, and bridges, as well as safe drinking water sources, livestock, and agricultural land," the ambassador said, reiterating the commitment of her country to help those affected by the floods.