Relief efforts get pace in U'khand as rain stops

Relief operations in Uttarakhand got the much-needed pace as the weather cleared up today even as Almora SDM Ajay Arora, who fell into Mandakini river three days ago, remained untraced.
A 14-member team of trained PAC divers flown to scour the Mandakini in Sonprayag, Gaurikund and Phata areas in a bid to look for the SDM have not yet been able to find him, District Disaster Management Officer Meera Kaintura said.
A body was recovered from Mandakini yesterday but it was not that of the missing official, she said.
Police have been alerted and asked to comb the river close to the banks in search of the official who fell into the river while returning from the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath to Garurchatti basecamp on Wednesday afternoon .

The weather cleared up at most places across Uttarakhand expediting relief operations but most of the rivers, including the Mandakini, Alaknanda and Bhagirathi, were in spate following heavy overnight rains.
However, it rained heavily in Dehradun this afternoon, leaving major roads in the city waterlogged.
Sporadic overnight rains continued bringing debris from the hills on to the roads blocking them at places.
The Rishikesh-Kedarnath highway is blocked due to debris at Sirubagad, Naulapani and Agastyamuni whereas Gopeshwar-Kund motorway is blocked at Mastura and Mayali-Guptkashi road obstructed at Sumadi, state Disaster Management and Mitigation Centre said, adding similar is the condition of Rishikesh-Badrinath highway in Chamoli and Rishikesh-Gangotri road in Uttarkashi.