Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced on Wednesday that the government was working to restore road connectivity, which was disrupted by the recent floods.
Speaking to mediapersons after an aerial survey in Haldwani, Dhami was quoted by ANI as saying, "Rainfall has slowed down. There has been massive damage. It'll take time to return to normalcy—roads were washed away, there were landslides, rivers changed their routes, villages were affected, bridges collapsed."
Dhami said the administration had been asked to ensure people did not lack food and drinking water. Dhami said the next of kin of those who were killed in the floods would receive Rs 4 lakh each.
"Rs 10 crore each has been sanctioned for all DMs as relief fund, so that they make all arrangements immediately. Work is being done on war footing to clear the roads. We are rescuing the tourists who are stranded. Situation is slowly becoming normal at Char Dham Yatra," Dhami was quoted as saying by ANI.
Meanwhile, state disaster management department secretary S.A. Murugesan informed the death toll from the recent floods had reached 46, with 11 still missing and 12 injured.
"He added 28 people have died in the Nainital district, six in Almora, two in Champawat, two in U.S. Nagar, and one in Bageshwar district since Tuesday," Hindustan Times reported.
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NDTV reported the situation in Ranikhet and Almora was grim due to shortage of fuel. "There is little or no fuel available in Ranikhet (around 320 km from Dehradun); what is left has been reserved for emergency services. Low-voltage electricity has been restored after 24 hours, and fibre optic cables (providing telephone and internet services) have been cut in multiple locations," NDTV reported.
The NDRF is continuing rescue operations. The NDRF evacuated 87 people from Chara to Khairna in Nainital.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to visit Uttarakhand on Wednesday evening to take stock of the situation.
