Choppers to drop food for shepherds

Tribune Reporters

Dharamsala/Palampur, Oct 3

The Kangra administration will press helicopters into service to drop food packets at the Thamsar Pass and Kalahandi at 16,000 feet on Thursday where over 100 shepherds and their 7,000 livestock have been trapped in the snow for the past 10 days.

SDM, Baijnath, Vikas Shukla said two search parties had reached the spot and information provided to his office revealed that over 500 sheep had perished. Shukla said the parties had also spotted the body of a shepherd who was buried in the snow last week.

He said because of the difficult topographical conditions and bad weather, it was not possible to extract the body and bring it back to Baijnath or Nagrota Bagwan. Due to the possibilities of avalanches, police or other officials could not be sent to the spot. However, efforts would be made to bring the body back for last rites.

He said the shepherds were on the way back to lower areas of Kangra when they were caught in heavy snow between Bara Bhangal and Kalahandi hills last week. Kalahandi was covered under four feet of snow.

The SDM said Sandeep Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, had directed panchayat representatives of Bara Bhangal to provide food and eatables to the shepherds. At present, 400 quintals of foodgrains were available at Bara Bhangal.

Chadah Singh, a relative of deceased Rakesh Kumar who had gone to Bara Bhangal, along with the rescue team last Sunday, said he tried to retrieve the body from a deep gorge. However, he could not climb and lift the body on his back. So he left it there wrapping it in a blanket.

Inder Gopal, another shepherd, said their family had taken about 500 sheep and goats to Bara Bhangal. However, sudden rain and snow on September 21 and 22 blocked the path. Since most of the bridges over the rivers in the area had collapsed, they could bring back just 50 sheep and goats. The government should compensate him, he said.