Amit Shah reviews flood situation and relief work in Uttarakhand

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday conducted an aerial survey of the disaster-affected areas in Uttarakhand. He was accompanied by State Governor Gurmeet Singh, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni.
The Union Home Minister also held a Review Meeting with senior officials of the state on disaster in Dehradun. Shah said that timely warnings by the Central Government helped in minimizing the loss of lives. He said that except three roads, traffic movement has started on most of the roads and relief has also started arriving wherever needed. Nainital, Haldwani and Almora roads have also been opened to traffic. Railway tracks have suffered heavy damage at one place and repair work has also begun. More than 60 percent electricity supply has been restored, people have started receiving pure drinking water and health facilities have not been disrupted. Shah said that since Uttarakhand is prone to natural calamities, therefore, an amount of Rs. 250 crore has been issued by the Center to the state a few months ago by the Disaster Management Department, due to which relief work has been started here. He said that the Central Government has already released the assistance of Rs. 749.60 crore as the Central share under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

About 80 percent of the telephone network has been restored. More than 3,500 people were rescued and more than sixteen thousand persons have been evacuated to safer places as a precaution, and there are no reports of loss of life of any tourist so far. 17 teams of the NDRF and 60 teams of the SDRF, 15 companies of the PAC and more than 5,000 police and fire brigade personnel are still engaged in the entire operation and helping people. Health facilities and food arrangements have been made in relief camps by the state government