ITBP rushes personnel for rescuing pilgrims in U'khand

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has rushed 500 personnel, including medical staff, for rescuing pilgrims and locals stranded at various places in Uttarakhand due to landslides and heavy rainfalls.
"Thousands of pilgrims stranded near Govind Ghat, enroute to Hemkund Sahib, were rescued by our personnel and local administration in a search and rescue operation lasting till last mid-night. They are being accommodated at various shelters in Joshimath," ITBP spokesperson Deepak Pandey said here.
Shelter and emergency medical centre to accommodate about 300 people has been established at the ITBP camp in Joshimath and about 250 yatris has been accommodated in Joshimath gurudwara, he said.

The force, which has put its two battalions on alert in Uttarakhand, has deployed commanders to supervise the relief and rescue operations in the state and upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh.
Situation is being constantly monitored by the force headquarters.
The ITBP said a number of 'yatris' and vehicles are stranded en-route to Badrinath as the road at Pandukeshwar, 30km from Joshimath, towards Badrinath, has been blocked after landslides.

Pilgrims have been stopped at Kedarnath and Gaurikund. The paramilitary force along with local administration is providing drinking water, food and medical help to them.
A rafting team of ITBP, the spokesperson said, also rescued 24 people from Budi village, 12km from Dehradun, where a multi-storey building was washed away in the wee hours.

Twelve teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), comprising 540 personnel, have reached landslide and heavy rain-affected areas of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
"The commandant of these units is already in talks with the local authorities and we will press more men if the situation demands," a senior NDRF official said.