Dehradun: Evacuation of stranded people from flood-hit areas of Uttarakhand on Saturday picked up pace with security forces rescuing 17 foreign tourists from Dharasu and sighting 1000 pilgrims stuck between Kedarnath and Gaurikund even as bad weather hampered chopper operations at some places.
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, meanwhile, arrived here to review ongoing rescue efforts in consultation with Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna. An eight-member team of experts is also being sent to Kedarnath shrine today to take a count of bodies lying in the temple area, Disaster Management authorities here said. Photos of the bodies strewn all over the area will be taken and put on the state government's official website, they said.
Chopper operations were hampered here early this morning with overcast conditions delaying the programme of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who was to undertake an aerial survey of the affected areas in Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts.
About 1000 more pilgrims stranded in Rambara and Junglechatti areas en route to Kedarnath shrine in Rudraprayag district were sighted by security forces. These people seem to have taken refuge in the gorges and ravines in these areas when the massive deluge occurred nearly a week ago. Hungry for days, many of those sighted are ill and and in need of immediate medical care, official sources said, adding the sick and ailing among them are being evacuated on a priority basis.
Apart from the 40 choppers in operation, the Rajasthan government has also given two choppers and 30 buses for evacuation of pilgrims. The Gujarat government has also put into operation two chartered planes 747 Boeings (Jet Airways) with a capacity of 140 persons each to ferry pilgrims from the state stuck in high altitude areas to Ahmedabad.
A control room for pilgrims from Gujarat has been set up at Shantikunj Haridwar.
Next: Volunteers reach out to distraught U'khand flood survivors

Volunteers reach out to distraught U'khand flood survivors
Dehradun: Amidst tales of unscrupulous shopkeepers fleecing the last dime out of hapless pilgrims, small groups of volunteers are trying to bring some succour to the distraught by providing them with water and food and collecting funds for flood victims.
The denizens were in strength at the Jolly Grant Airport and at the Sahasradhara helipad, handing out water bottles and serving food to those who have camped in the city as they wait for news of their near and dear ones. They were also on the streets, collecting donation for the Chief Minister's Fund, contributing their mite to the collective effort to provide relief.
Outside the Jolly Grant Hospital, some of them sit in a pick-up truck with bunches of bananas and water bottles for delivery to those rescued from flash-flood hit areas. Amidst the chaos which is the aftermath of a disaster, the volunteers were bringing a sense of calm to the rescue efforts.
As the friends and family of those missing rush from one official to another, chase every government vehicle and vent their spleen at what some condemned was the total absence of sensitivity on part of the administration, the volunteers were there, patiently waiting with a glass of water, or lime juice, and food.
"We have been here since morning. Me and my friends thought we should be a part of the effort," said Sumit as he went with his friends from room to room at the Jolly Grant Hospital, handing out water bottles and inquiring about the health of survivors admitted there.
Manning their stations from dawn till dusk, when the helicopters cease their sorties for the day, these volunteers are almost one with the harried numbers outside the airport in their agony and anxiety. One such group was made of volunteers sent by Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, which has set up a langar (community kitchen) outside Jolly Grant Airport.
The volunteers at this kiosk are local youth who are giving their assistance to those whose only thoughts are about their family members stranded up in the hills. But the response is not all local. If the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and several other states have made fund contributions to Uttarakhand, people from other parts of the country have not fallen behind in joining the effort.
JS Dhillon and Harwinder Singh, two of the volunteers at the SGPC kiosk, are from Jind district in Haryana.They arrived here three days back to pitch in with their time and labour. "We came here after being asked to do so by our Gurdwara Dhamtan Sahib elders.We will be here as long as there are people here looking for their missing relatives," Dhillon said.
Students of DAV College also initiated a drive to to collect money for relief operations. About 20-odd students, holding up a banner calling for aid, began a march from their college, urging people to contribute.
"Today is the final day of our drive, we had started yesterday.We will send the money to the Chief Minister's relief fund," said one of the students as a woman puts a Rs 50 note inside the collection box.