NHRC team to assess situation in Uttarakhand

A National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) team will visit Uttarakhand next week to take stock of the relief and rehabilitation work after devastating floods last month wreaked havoc in the hill state, an official statement said Friday.

The five-member team, headed by Kanwaljit Deol, director general (investigation), will visit Uttarakhand July 15-18 for on-the-spot assessment of the situation, the NHRC statement said.

"The team will hold a meeting with senior officers of the state government on July 16 in Dehradun. It will also hold a meeting with the NGOs and visit the worst-affected areas," it said.

The team will make assessment of various aspects including the number of deaths, relief camps, accessibility of food and drinking water and alternate arrangements for rehabilitation of affected people.

"It will also look into assistance to farmers, medical facilities, provisions for the last rites of the dead, safety and security of the people, restoration of infrastructure, disaster management system and monetary relief, among others," it added.

Incessant rains in Uttarakhand for over three days from June 14 triggered flashfloods and landslides leading to hundreds of deaths. Over 100,000 people were evacuated and as many as 4,000 are still missing.