New Delhi, June 28, 2013: As Army Chief General Bikram Singh is scheduled to visit some of the worst-affected areas of rain-ravaged Uttarakhand on Friday to take stock of the Army’s rescue and relief operations, the Army continued evacuation of stranded people in the hilly State battered by landslips and rains.

The focus of the Army personnel on Thursday was on Badrinath and Harsil, from where 532 people were evacuated by helicopters and taken to safety. Senior Army officers have said that stranded people have been evacuated from Harsil, where 100 to 150 locals still need to be evacuated.

At least 450 people were evacuated by helicopters from Badrinath. All able-bodied and willing people were motivated by the Army personnel to undertake the journey from Badrinath to Joshimath by foot and at some places by vehicles. As many as 900 people set out on foot and 244 have already reached Joshimath and the rest were said to be on their way and were expected to reach by night. Hemkund area has also been cleared of all stranded pilgrims.

Source: the Hindu, DT. June 28, 2013.