MP deploys buses in Haridwar to bring back stranded pilgrims

The Madhya Pradesh government has deployed 10 buses at Haridwar to bring back the safely stranded pilgrims in rain-ravaged Uttarakhand, official sources said today.
Reviewing the relief and rescue operations, state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today spoke to Public Relations Minister Laxmikant Sharma and directed him to take all possible measures to evacuate the stranded pilgrims.
Sharma informed the chief minister that 10 buses were arranged in Haridwar to send back the rescued pilgrims.
The state government is also making efforts to deploy a light-weight helicopter in the rescue operations as the heavy ones were finding it difficult to land in difficult terrains, the sources said.

One such helicopter is leaving from Bangalore soon, they said.
Meanwhile, a group of officers today reached Gaurikund by helicopter to rescue the stranded pilgrims from the state by road through Joshimath.
The chief minister also directed all the district collectors to gather information in their respective districts about the persons stranded in Uttarakhand and coordinate with the official team camping in the hill state for bringing them back to the state.
State chief secretary R Parsuram, principal secretary to the Chief Minister, Manoj Shrivastava and Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Vivek Jouhri among others were present during the meeting.