Union Home Secretary visits rain-ravaged areas

Union Home Secretary R K Singh today conducted an aerial survey of rain-devastated areas in Uttarakhand and said eight IAF helicopters would be pressed into service from tomorrow to speed up evacuation of stranded pilgrims.
He asked ITBP, IAF and NDRF to jointly conduct relief and rescue operations on a war-footing.
After conducting aerial survey of flood-ravaged areas in Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi, Singh held a 3-hour meeting with senior state government officials.
The officials included DGP Satyavrat Bansal, Principal Secertary (Health) S S Ramaswamy, Principal Secretary to the CM S S Sandhu and Principal Secretary (Home) Om Prakash.
Eight IAF helicopters would arrive tomorrow to help in relief and rescue operations in Kedarnath area in Rudraprayag district which had been the worst-hit, the Principal Secretary (Home) said after the meeting.

Gaurigaon, a place located above the Kedarnath shrine, seemed to have suffered large-scale damage and Additional IAF choppers would initially be engaged in relief and rescue operations there, the official said.
Monsoon rains have wreaked havoc in the hill state leaving over 150 dead.