Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Wednesday said the evacuation of nearly 300 tourists, who have been stranded for the past four days in the Chandertal lake in Lahaul-Spiti district, was “the toughest challenge”.
“In Chandertal, there is some challenge, but the situation is under control,” Sukhu told the media here after the air recee of the snow-marooned mountains where tourists have been kept in tented accommodation provided by the state government.
The Chief Minister said two ministers, Jagat Singh Negi and Sanjay Awasthi, have been deputed by road at the spot to oversee the underway relief and rescue operation.
Without mincing words, he said: “As per my observation, the toughest evacuation so far is that of the Chandertal.”
On his official twitter handle, the Chief Minister shared aerial pictures of the Chandertal with colourful tents dotted on the white blanked of snow.
“Due to heavy snowfall and bad weather, it has become very difficult to evacuate them. We are exploring all possible options,” Sukhu tweeted.
He said over 250 tourists are stranded there, and road connectivity is severely impacted.
“The government attempted to airlift the tourists but was unable to do so due to bad weather.”
The stranded people comprise tourists, largely from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and three women foreigners — two from Ireland and one from the US. They have been stuck as rain-battered hills snapped road links.
Heavy snowfall in the region this week has also made the operation to reopen the road network more challenging, according to a government official.
“The snow-clearing operation towards the Kunzum Pass began early this (Wednesday) morning on the third day and a 12-km stretch has been made motorable,” Assistant Public Relations Officer Ajay Banyal, who is posted in Kaza, the headquarters of Spiti, told IANS over phone.
Now the total distance to clear the snow to reach the tented accommodation of the tourists at the Chandertal is 25 km.
Elsewhere, the Chief Minister said over 2,000 stranded individuals in Kasol in Kullu district have been successfully evacuated.
“Our teams are working tirelessly to clear the Dunkhara landslide on the Kasol-Bhuntar road. The district administration is on-site coordinating relief efforts. A total of 2,200 plus vehicles have safely passed through Kullu, receiving food support at Ramshilla Chowk. I personally oversee the situation and remain committed to overcoming these challenges,” he said.
The Chief Minister the situation in Manali and Sissu has improved.
“The traffic from Manali (on the Manali-Chandigarh highway) is slow but moving. We have started the evacuation of children from Sissu.”
In the Kara Bhawa Valley rescue operation in Kinnaur, all 28 people stranded have been rescued and reached nearest villages by trekking. They have been provided food and medical assistance.
Meanwhile, vehicles have been allowed in batches on the Shimla-Chandigarh national highway 5 due to ongoing restoration work at Chakkimod. The Baddi to Ropar via Nalagarh road, which was damaged, has been made motorable. The Baddi to Pinjore via Barotiwala and Baddi to Chandigarh via Siswan is open for light motor vehicles only. The Nalagarh to Swarghat, Nalagarh to Ramshehar and Nalagarh to Bharatgarh via Dabhota road are still cut off, a police statement said.
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiians@gmail.com)
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