Team News Riveting
Union Minister for Home Amit Shah said in a tunnel of NTPC project in disaster-hit Chamoli of Uttarakhand, approximately 25-35 people were suspected to be trapped.
“Rescue operations to evacuate these people are going on a war footing and all-out efforts are being made for searching missing persons,” Shah said in Rajya Sabha today evening. As many as 197 people are missing while 20 have died in Sunday’s avalanche and flash floods in Uttarakhand, he said.
Five more bodies were recovered on Tuesday taking the death toll from the Uttarakhand glacier disaster to 31 as multiple agencies raced against time to reach about 30 workers trapped inside a tunnel in a power project site and 175 people remained missing.
A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations and endangered lives of people living along the banks.
Shah said that the rising water levels washed away the functional Rishiganga small hydro project of 13.2 MW and also affected the under-construction 520 MW NTPC Hydro Power Project at Tapovan on the downstream of the Dhauli Ganga river.
“As per information received from the Government of Uttarakhand, 20 people have died and six persons have been injured so far. A total of 197 people are reported missing which includes 139 of an under-construction project of NTPC, 46 of the functional Rishi Ganga Project and 12 villagers,” he said.
Twelve people working on the NTPC project and 15 on the Rishiganga were saved, Shah said, adding in a tunnel of NTPC project, approximately 25-35 people were suspected to be still trapped.
The Indo-Tibetian Border Police has set up their control room and 450 personnel of the force with all necessary equipment are engaged in rescue and relief operations. Five Nation Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have also reached the place of incident.
Besides, eight teams of the Indian Army, including one Engineer Task Force (ETF), are carrying out rescue operations at the incident site. A diving team of the Indian Navy has also reached the site for the rescue operation.
“Five helicopters of the Indian Air Force have also been engaged in the rescue operation. A control room has been established at Joshimath,” Shah said.
