35 ailing Manimahesh Yatra pilgrims airlifted to Chamba; 500 being transported via road

Shimla, Sep 4 (PTI) The Chamba district administration has launched a major operation to safely evacuate pilgrims stranded along the Manimahesh Yatra route, and despite adverse weather conditions, 35 ailing and elderly devotees were airlifted to Chamba by a small helicopter that conducted seven sorties on Thursday, an official said.

The administration began transporting nearly 500 devotees from Bharmaur to Chamba by vehicles on Thursday. At certain stretches where roads are damaged, adequate security personnel have been deployed to assist pilgrims and ensure their safety, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said in a statement.

Thousands of pilgrims are stranded in Chamba district, especially in the Bharmaur assembly constituency, which has been disconnected by roads after heavy rains triggered multiple landslides and flash floods along the Manimahesh Yatra route in the last week of August.

The yatra, which began on August 17, was scheduled to end on September 15. The established route to the Manimahesh Lake is the Chamba-Bharmaur-Hadsar route, which requires a 13 kilometre trek from Hadsar to Manimahesh, with a night halt at Dhancho.

The chief minister's statement added that Indian Air Force's MI-17 helicopter has been stationed at Pathankot to meet any emergency. Free food, drinking water, transport and other essential facilities have been arranged on the way to prevent any inconvenience to the devotees, it said.

The chief minister said that Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi has been personally supervising rescue operations in Bharmaur for the last several days.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said that Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) has been providing free service to safely transport the pilgrims.

So far, about 6,647 pilgrims have been transported to Pathankot and Kangra free of cost through 153 buses, he said.

"In this hour of disaster, it is the responsibility of the government and the HRTC to ensure that the pilgrims return home safely. The HRTC service will continue until the last passenger reaches home safely," Agnihotri added. PTI BPL RUK RUK