Chamba admn steps up efforts to evacuate Manimahesh pilgrims

With skies clearing in Chamba on Wednesday, the district administration intensified efforts to evacuate stranded Manimahesh pilgrims in Bharmour and to airlift the bodies of those who died during the pilgrimage. Four bodies were flown out in an Army MI-17 helicopter and brought to Pathankot where they were handed over to their families.

Among the deceased were two devotees from Pathankot, one from Gurdaspur and another from Hoshiarpur. Their bodies had remained stranded in Bharmour due to blocked routes caused by heavy rain and landslides during the yatra.

Officials confirmed that four more bodies are still lying in Kugti where a 30-member rescue team has already reached. The bodies are expected to be brought to Bharmour by Thursday and will then be airlifted to different parts of the country for handing over to the bereaved families.

This year, more than 12 devotees lost their lives during the Manimahesh Yatra. While most of the victims’ bodies had earlier been sent to their families by road, inclement weather delayed the dispatch of those in Bharmour and Kugti. Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repaswal said the retrieval process has now picked up pace with improved weather, though any fresh spell of rain could still disrupt operations. Meanwhile, more than 112 pilgrims were evacuated in Himachal Road Transport Corporation buses from Janghi.

DC visits industrial area

Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repaswal along with Superintendent of Police Abishek Yadav on Wednesday visited the flood-hit Industrial Area, Sultanpur, on the outskirts of Chamba town.

Heavy rain had triggered a flashflood in the locality on Tuesday. Several homes, shops and industrial units were buried under debris, causing losses worth several lakhs. Vehicles parked along the roadside were also crushed with one car thrown onto a building’s rooftop by boulders, damaging the structure extensively.

Pankaj Chowfla, who runs a food processing unit in the area, said that he suffered extensive damage due to the floods. “There have been huge losses to me and others here as huge debris has entered our units. My car was also swept away. Thankfully, the machinery in the factory is safe,” he said

We need stronger protection walls and drainage systems in the future. For that, government support is essential, he added.

Meanwhile, the DC said that damage assessment teams are already on the ground and residents of unsafe houses would be shifted to safer locations if required. With more rain predicted, relief measures and debris clearance are being carried out on priority.