Officials say that as many as 2,433 pilgrims from AP are stranded in flood-hit Uttarakhand. Helplines and control room numbers are given here.
The AP state government, on Saturday, said that as many as 2,433 pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh are stranded in flood-hit Uttarakhand.
District Collectors were asked to provide details of pilgrims hailing from their respective districts. According to their reports, as many as 784 pilgrims are from Hyderabad, followed by Visakhapatnam (661), West Godavari (203), Krishna (146), Srikakulam (91), YSR Kadapa (89), East Godavari (80), Guntur (76), Kurnool (71), SPS Nellore (54), Ananthapur (52), Rangareddy (27), Medak (25), Nalgonda (22), Chittoor (21), Nizamabad (18), Warangal (15), Vizianagaram (12), and 11 each from Karimnagar and Prakasam.
Control Room Numbers / Help Line Numbers For Uttarakhand Floods
As per the instructions of the Chief Secretary a control room has been opened in AP Bhavan in Delhi. Its numbers are:
011-23384188 (D)
011-23782644 (D)
011-23382031 Extn: 438
Uttarakhand Helpline: 0135-2714334 / 2714335
Control room in the AP's Revenue Department: 040-23451043
The officials dispatched from AP Bhavan and positioned at various places are as follows
G Rama Kotaiah (098109-81293) at District Magistrate Office, Dehradun
M V S Rama Rao (098719-90081) at Dehradun Airport
Digabar Bist (099999-89786) & Netar Singh (098185-82199) at Central Control Room, Dehradun
The Resident Commissioner, AP Bhavan, has reportedly dispatched two teams to open help desks at Dehradun to help the movement of stranded AP pilgrims to Delhi and onwards to their respective destinations. This is being done in liaison with Southern Travels, Rao Travels and other local tour operators whose services have been availed by the travellers.
So far the control room / CDM & EOPS / CDM & EOPS Peshi have received 442 calls (June 19 - 257 calls, June 20 - 109 calls, June 21 - 48 calls and June 22 - 28 calls upto 5:30pm) from relatives of the stranded pilgrims. The callers were given numbers of other help lines and control rooms, while being assuring them that the government was taking relief measures.
The Resident Commissioner, Andhra Pradesh, was requested to arrange for accommodation, food, medicines and medical facilities and transport at AP Bhavan to all persons from AP who come to Delhi from Uttarakhand.
The Special Officer, Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand (Sanjay Kumar) & Resident Commissioner, A P Bhavan, New Delhi have been authorised to spend money on transport arrangements for the travellers being rescued, including provision for other incidental expenses.
We learnt from the PA to Bandaru Dattatreya (former BJP MP), Ramesh, that Thakar Si Soni (contact no. 90296-42841) and 3 other persons from Hyderabad were stranded at Kharsali, Uttara Khasi. Their plight was reported to Sanjay Kumar, the AP Bhavan Resident Commissioner, and Uttarkhand's Chief Secretary.
AP's District Collectors have been requested to furnish details of the number of pilgrims who return to their respective places, everyday, before 3pm, until the last missing person of their district has returned.
Meanwhile, according to M V S Rama Rao of A P Bhavan's Mobile Team at Haridwar, 30 pilgrims of Gudivada (Krishna district) are staying at Andhra Ashramam in Rishikesh. The members of the group have reportedly refused to return home until the 15 missing persons from their group are traced.
Reportedly, 40 pilgrims of Srikakulam district will be reaching Rishikesh from the Kedarnath hills by Saturday evening.
The Resident Commissioner, A P Bhavan, has said that 1,100 persons have reached A P Bhavan since Friday night. Arrangements are being made for the transportation of 275 persons to different parts of AP, by train, he said.
12 persons from AP have been evacuated by helicopter, and another 20 have been rescued by road.
He also said that four teams (of 10 people each) were sent to Dehradun and Haridwar to help stranded people from Andhra Pradesh. (INN)