In a difficult Himalayan operation, rescuers on Sunday brought almost 200 tourists who were stuck near the glacier-fed Chandertal or moon lake in Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti Valley after heavy rain caused road connections to break, authorities said.
“Every traveller trapped in Chandertal is safe and sound. Rescue efforts have begun. According to a senior police officer, the police control centre has begun phoning relatives of visitors to reassure them of their safety.
IANS was informed by him that Superintendent of Police Mayank Chaudhary was there to direct the relief and rescue effort.
At a height of 14,100 feet, the Chandertal lake is a crescent-shaped basin encircled by the Himalayas. Only in the summer is it possible to visit the lake. It doesn’t melt throughout the winter.
Earlier, the road connection between Spiti and Manali was severed due to flash floods and landslides in the high Himalayas, saving 30 college students who were in route.
On Saturday night, the district government was notified that the party was stuck between Gramphu and Chota Dharra in the Lahaul sector. They were moving in two automobiles.
According to a dispatch from the state emergency operation centre in this location, a rescue squad made up of members of the Border Road Organisation (BRO), Home Guard, and police was sent in to assist with the rescue.
It said that between Gramphu and Dharra, NH 505 (Sumdo Kaza-Gramphu) was shut at several spots by flash floods and landslides. “Man and resources will be deployed after the clearance of weather,” it said.
Sukhvinder Sukhu, the chief minister, expressed sorrow over the loss of three family members who were killed in a landslip in the Shimla district’s Kumarsain tehsil.
He said that the afflicted family has been ordered to get urgent help by the district government.
Due to excessive rain, he decided to close the schools on July 10 and 11.
He urged them to be careful in the face of the current bad weather conditions and to stay away from rivers and rivulets.
The government on Saturday postponed the two-week-long Shrikhand Mahadev pilgrimage, which is said to be more difficult than the travel to the Amarnath cave shrine in Kashmir due to heavy rain and the likelihood of snowfall in high altitude locations, until Monday.
Three worshippers fell on their journey a day earlier. Two people were still missing while one corpse was found by the rescue crew, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Chandrashekhar Kayath. He said that poor weather was hampering the search effort.
All main rivers and their tributaries were in spate on Sunday as the hills of Himachal Pradesh continued to endure moderate to heavy rains, authorities said. This caused landslides in various locations and blocked roadways.
There is a possibility of severe rain till Monday, according to a representative of the local MeT office.
Massive landslides on national roads in the districts of Shimla, Kinnaur, Mandi, and Kullu have also been brought on by persistent rain, which has hampered vehicle traffic.
According to a government official, the water level has also risen in the state’s three main rivers, the Satluj, Beas, and Yamuna, which flow into the adjacent states of Punjab and Haryana.