Focus on safety of devotees and pregnant women
Dehradun: In view of the heavy monsoon rainfall, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday visited the Uttarakhand State Emergency Operations Center at IT Park to review the situation across the state. The Chief Minister directed all government and administrative officers to remain on alert mode round the clock for the next two months. He also instructed them to regularly stay on the ground to monitor and ensure all necessary arrangements during the monsoon.
Taking stock of the situation, the Chief Minister issued specific directions to the District Magistrates to safeguard devotees on the Chardham Yatra. He emphasized ensuring adequate arrangements of food, medicines, milk for children and other essentials. Citing the possibility of heavy rains, he announced that the Char Dham Yatra has been halted for the next 24 hours in the interest of devotees’ safety.
Highlighting disaster preparedness, Dhami instructed officials to evacuate people living near rivers, streams and other disaster-sensitive areas to safer locations. Special care should be taken to ensure safety around sites where construction work is underway.
Reviewing ongoing rescue efforts, the Chief Minister directed that the search operations for workers missing after the cloudburst in Barkot area of Uttarkashi tehsil be expedited. Out of 29 workers, 20 have been rescued while two bodies have been recovered. Similarly, he asked officials to intensify the search for those missing in the Rudraprayag vehicle accident.
Focusing on maternal health, Dhami directed all District Magistrates to prepare a database of pregnant women in their districts, especially those expected to deliver by September. He stressed on making proper arrangements to transport them to hospitals well before delivery, ensuring the safety of both mother and child.
The Chief Minister also reviewed the status of rainfall, road conditions and essential services with the District Magistrates. He instructed officials to ensure prompt opening of roads damaged by rain and to deploy adequate numbers of JCB machines and other equipment at vulnerable sites. In areas where rivers, streams or drains could potentially change course, necessary channelization and protective measures should be implemented on priority.
Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, Principal Secretary R.K. Sudhanshu, Secretaries Shailesh Bagoli and Vinod Kumar Suman, Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey, IG Garhwal Rajiv Swaroop, along with other senior officials and all District Magistrates, participated in the review through virtual mode.
