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Himachal DGP lauds state police for remarkable work during floods
Himachal DGP Kundu, who recently returned from a foreign tour, visited Mandi and Kullu, the epicentres of floods that rocked the state last weekend, to take stock of the situation post disaster. “The Mandi police had distributed food packets to 7,000 tourists who were rescued from different parts,” he said.
Himachal Pradesh police responded most professionally and worked tirelessly, relentlessly and ceaselessly in the face of natural calamity, director general of police (DGP) Sanjay Kundu said on Sunday.
Kundu, who recently returned from a foreign tour, visited Mandi and Kullu, the epicentres of floods that rocked the state last weekend, to take stock of the situation post disaster.
Addressing a press conference at Mandi, the DGP said that police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescued more than 60 thousand people including tourists from 25 countries from Kullu alone.
“The Mandi police had distributed food packets to 7,000 tourists who were rescued from different parts,” he said, adding that Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi also appreciated the efforts of the state police.
He said because the state police were alert so many lives were saved. However, the disaster was also a lesson for the police, and he would urge the government to make available disaster management set up at police station level.
“The tourists are now venturing into the remotest parts and police will work out to increase their presence in such areas,” said Kundu.
He said that more than 12.74 lakh vehicles crossed Atal Tunnel, Rohtang, last year and this year the number would likely cross 20 lakh. During the floods more than 10,000 people were rescued from Lahaul-Spiti. Earlier, such a large number of people would not go to Lahaul-Spiti.
It reflects the scale at which tourism has expanded.
“Since, the tourist are going in the deep interiors of Himachal, where carrying out rescue operation could be very tough so we will urge the government to increase police presence in such areas so that they act as first responders in emergency situation like natural disaster.
The DGP said that the chief minister has agreed to open a police station at Manikaran and has also directed to station a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) at Kasol in Kullu.
Search for missing people will continue
Kundu said that the search for missing people will continue. The police control rooms opened during the calamity will continue to function till September 15 and register missing persons reports.
“Our operation has not ended and now our priority is to find those who have been missing,” he said.
Deputy inspector general (DIG), Central Range, Madhusudan, and Mandi superintendent of police (SP) Soumya Sambasivan were also present on the occasion.
The DGP later addressed a press conference at Kullu.
