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Lahaul and Spiti: All 266 tourists rescued from Chandratal
Rescuers evacuate all 266 stranded tourists from Chandratal, a lake in Himachal Pradesh, following heavy rain and landslides.
In one of the most challenging operations, rescuers finally reached Chandratal, a lake at a height of 14,100 feet in rain-hit Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti district, and evacuated all 266 stranded tourists to Losar on Thursday.
The 40-member rescue team, comprising police personnel and district administration officials, worked the whole night to clear the road to reach Chandratal. Accompanied by state revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi and chief parliamentary secretary Sanjay Awasthi, the team reached Chandratal at 2 am. The team had to clear the road from Gramphu to Kaza which was blocked due to snowfall and landslides before they reached Chandratal.
The evacuation of tourists, stranded since Saturday, began at 8 am on Thursday. Those evacuated included 165 tourists, 73 camp persons and 10 shepherds. A total of 266 persons were evacuated, said director of state disaster management authority DC Rana. Superintendent of police Mayank was the last to leave the campsite The tourist was moved to Losar. As many as 118 people, including a foreign national, were rescued from Sangla, Raksham and Chitkul. An army chopper made sorties to Sangla for the evacuation.
“An army chopper made six sorties to Sangla and evacuated all 118 persons who were stranded there,” additional director general of police (law and order) Abhishek Trivedi.
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who has been camping in Kullu for the past three days to supervise rescue operations, undertook an aerial survey of Chandratal. Later, he tweeted that about 60,000 tourists have been evacuated from across the state since rescue operations began over the weekend.
He said about 10,000 tourists are still stranded in Kasol Valley of Kullu district and arrangements were being made for their evacuation.
“About 10,000 tourists are stuck in Kasol and Kheerganga area but they are reluctant to move out without their vehicles,” said Sukhu, adding that the police will provide them with a slip so that they can take their vehicles when the roads are repaired later.
Officiating director general of police Satwant Atwal Trivedi said, “Six Israeli tourists were rescued and brought to the police station at Manikaran, while 37 Israeli citizens have been put up at Barshaini. All are safe,” she said.
The CM made a visit to the flood-devastated Thunag sub-division in the Seraj constituency represented by Opposition leader Jai Ram Thakur. The purpose of his visit was to assess the situation on the ground and extend much-needed support to the affected community.
Upon arrival at Thunag market, the CM witnessed the severe damage caused by the recent flooding. He expressed deep concern for the affected families and wasted no time in announcing a relief measure. He declared that each affected family would receive ₹1 lakh to assist them in rebuilding their lives.
Realising the need for long-term solutions to prevent future disasters, the CM issued instructions to the authorities to channel the Thunag rivulet. By undertaking this preventive measure, the government aimed to avert similar mishaps in the future, ensuring the safety and security of the local population.
To address the immediate housing needs of those who had lost their homes to the raging floods, the CM pledged to provide land for the construction of new houses. This announcement brought hope and reassurance to the affected families, promising them a fresh start in the face of adversity.
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