U'khand cloudburst: 3 more bodies recovered, toll rises to 18

Three more bodies were recovered from the debris in the cloudburst-hit villages of Pithoragarh, raising the death toll in rain-related incidents in the state to 18
while searches were on for as many missing people by the Army, para-military and police personnel.
According to the Disaster Mitigation Centre here, three more bodies were recovered from Bastadi and Nauleda villages of Pithoragarh district taking the toll from cloudburst in the wee hours of Friday to 15.
The number of recovered bodies swept away by flashfloods in Chamoli continues to be 3 and the total fatalities from both districts located far apart from each other currently is 18.

Overcoming hindrances posed by the weather with intermittent rains lashing most parts of the state, Army, para-military and police personnel continued their rescue and search operations in the affected areas, ADG (law and order) Anil Raturi said.
"However, he made it clear that there was no report of any untoward incident caused by the rains today from anywhere.

NDRF, SDRF, ITBP and the state police are working round- the-clock looking for any traces of life trapped under the debris," the official said.
He said the Army had recovered an elderlywoman alive from Pithoragarh yesterday and has shared the information on Twitter.

(Reopens DEL32)
Rawat has ordered a stay on government employees taking leave over the next three months to avoid any shortage of manpower in case of any emergency.
The Chief Minister also wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh requesting him to provide the state licenses for 22 satellite phones for better communication between agencies involved in rescue operations in the affected areas.
Rawat also wrote a separate letter to Communications and IT Minister Ravishankar Prasad asking him to allocate spectrum of HF/BHF network to the state immediately to help in smooth conduct of relief and rescue operations.
Meanwhile, the condition of three people, among the 13 who were injured in Bastadi, Nauleda, Rigoliya, Nachani and Charma in the cloudburst incidents, was serious and they have been brought to Pithoragarh for treatment.

Water, electricity supply and communication systems have been badly hit in these villages and efforts are on to restore them at the earliest.
In Pithoragarh district, four houses have been fully damaged while 12 partially, whereas rubble falling from hillsides has blocked Rishikesh-Badrinath highway besides 33 other rural roads in Chamoli district. Restoration work is on.
Around 160 families, affected by rain related incidents, have been kept in makeshift relief camps built in government schools and panchayat buildings in Basatadi and Naulada villages.
Rawat also sanctioned Rs 5 crore to Pithoragarh and Chamoli in addition to the funds allocated to them earlier.

He also sanctioned an additional Rs 3 crore to each of the rest of the hill districts and an additional Rs one crore to all districts located in the plains.