UTTARAKHAND LANDSLIDES: 45 Mandya pilgrims yet to reach Uttarakhand

CM promises all help to trapped Kannadigas

Mysuru: Even as more than 14,000 pilgrims were left stranded at various places in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand after a massive landslide blocked the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway yesterday afternoon, over 45 pilgrims have left Mandya for Uttarakhand for the Char Dham Yatra.

The Char Dham Yatra is a visit to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangothri and Yamunothri. The landslide which occurred in Hathi Parvat near Vishnuprayag, 9-km from Joshimath, left 60 metres of the national highway damaged but there were no reports of injury to pilgrims.

After the landslide, thousands of pilgrims were stopped in Govindghat, Joshimath and Pandukeshwar from moving ahead. They have been accommodated in nearby hotels, lodges and gurdwaras and guest houses. Around 11,000 pilgrims were at Badrinath for darshan at the time of the calamity.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, certain tour operators in Mandya said that the pilgrims left Mandya four days back in a train and they were yet to reach Uttarakhand.

Tour operators from Mysuru said that nobody from Mysuru went for the trip recently. “There have been no bulk trips. However, we have no idea if pilgrims went there individually or in small groups,” a tour operator added.

It may be recalled here that in June 2013, about 36 people from H.D. Kote had left for ‘kaashi yaatre’ and were trapped in heavy rains in Haridwar to Gaurikund. All of them were rescued by the Army then and when they came back, pilgrims recounted the horror of being trapped in   an unknown and a disaster-struck land.

CM ORDERS HELP

Chief Minister Siddharamaiah has said that people from the State who are trapped in Uttarakhand will be rescued and all help will be offered to them. “All help will be offered and I have already spoken to Chief Secretary Subhash Khuntia to ensure that devotees are taken care of,” he told reporters in Mysuru today.

The CM added that as of now, there was no information about any devotee from Karnataka being trapped in Uttarakhand.