Mysuru: Inclement weather is preventing operation of flights to evacuate over 290 pilgrims from Karnataka — including from Mysuru, Ramanagaram, Malavalli and Hassan — who have been stranded in Nepal and Tibet along the route of the Kailash Manasarowar Yatra.

So far, nine pilgrims (in one group) and three (in another group), who have left Mysuru on the yatra, have been identified and at present they are at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. The Mysuru District Administration is collecting more information about other pilgrims, if any, who have gone on Kailash Manasarowar Yatra.

With heavy rains and landslips, many pilgrims are stranded at Simikot Town, Nepal, which is close to the entry point to Tibet. Only mini-airplanes can ply the area owing to the weather conditions. While pilgrims have found shelter at local hotels or at roadside shops converted to accommodate them for now, the weather has been taking its toll especially on older pilgrims, said those stranded.

One report says that some pilgrims went on the yatra through Asian Travels and their information has been passed on to a control room set up in Bengaluru. According to the information, Malathesh, Venkatesh, Damodar of Mysuru and Ramshetty of Channarayapatna in Hassan are safe and have reached Tribhuvan International Airport.

Another report says that 35 pilgrims have left Malavalli and they have been taken on the yatra by a private television channel. But there is no information on the pilgrims from State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Bengaluru.

According to the District officials, a group of nine pilgrims from Mysuru have gone on the pilgrimage and they have been sent through N.J. Reddy, a retired Marshal. Reddy arranged the trip through Mumbai-based Prana Chikitsa Kendra. Accordingly, Sudhir Prabhakar and Jagadeeshwari Prabhakar from Ramakrishnanagar H Block, 4Amritha of Kuvempunagar, Dr. Prema of Siddhartha Layout, Girish and Chaitra Girish, Poornima, Thejaswini and Jayashree left Mysuru last week and were caught in adverse weather.

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, Sagar Sudheer, son of Sudhir Prabhakar said that his parents and other seven pilgrims reached the Tribhuvan International Airport and have already boarded a plane to New Delhi. They are likely to reach Bengaluru tomorrow, he said.

Meanwhile, Mysuru district authorities have sought information about pilgrims who would have left for the yatra. DC Abhiram G. Sankar and Tahsildar T. Ramesh Babu have sounded all Panchayat Development Officers and Taluk Level officers to collect information about any other pilgrims who have gone on the yatra.

The State Emergency Operation Centre officers said that all out efforts were made to provide necessary help to the stranded pilgrims from Karnataka.

The Karnataka Government has placed its representatives in Nepalganj and Simikot to have personal touch with stranded pilgrims.

EMERGENCY HOTLINE NUMBERS

An exclusive hotline has been set up for pilgrims and their family members. This would also comprise language speaking staff stranded passengers or their relatives can contact:

Pranav Ganesh, First Secretary (Consular) – +977-9851107006

Tashi Khampa, Second Secretary (Consular) – +977-9851155007

Tarun Raheja, Attache (Consular) – +977-9851107021

Rajesh Jha, (Community Welfare) – +977-9818832398, +977-9851165140

Yogananda (Hotline – Kannada) – +977-9823672371

Pindi Naresh (Telugu) – +977-9808082292

R. Murugan (Tamil) – +977-9808500642

C Ranjith (Hotline – Malayalam) – +977-9808500644.