"More than 3,000 pilgrims evacuated from Joshimath this morning had been brought to Nadrasu Gurdwara and it is hoped that they would be brought to the base relief camp of Punjab Government at Gurdwara in Rishikesh by Wednesday evening," a Punjab Government release said here.
It said that these pilgrims were earlier expected to reach Rishikesh this afternoon, "but due to major landslides between Srinagar and Chamoli Highways, the ongoing rescue operations were hampered."
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was in regular touch with the teams of the state government deputed at Rishikesh and Joshimath and he has been informed that so far 6,300 pilgrims had been transported in the state.
According to A Venu Prasad, Secretary Housing, Punjab, who was in Rishikesh overseeing the entire operations of safely sending back the rescued pilgrims to their destinations in the state, said that all the pilgrims were well at Gurdwara Nadrasu, where all needful material including eatables, medical aids, clothes, langar had been provided.
More From This Section
Giving details about the pilgrims stranded at Badrinath, Prasad said that the helicopters were in service to evacuate the pilgrims struck there.
He said that now Badrinath is the focus of Punjab government's rescue teams and its choppers today brought more than 113 pilgrims to Joshimath under the command of Army authorities.
He added that more than 700 kg of eatables, including dry fruits, biscuits, milk bags, packed foods etc have been sent in a helicopter for the pilgrims stranded at Badrinath.