Around 250 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims from Karnataka, stranded in Nepal's mountainous region due to heavy rains are "safe", the state government informed the Assembly today.
"All our yatris are safe... the state government has acted responsibly, the chief minister immediately instructed the Resident Commissioner of Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi to take all necessary action to ensure the safety of the pilgrims," Revenue Minister R V Deshpande said.
His statement came as authorities in Nepal said 104 Indian pilgrims were evacuated from Simikot as the rescue work intensified to bring back 1,500 other Indians stranded while returning from the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage in Tibet.
The Indian Embassy said around 525 Indian pilgrims are stranded at Simikot in Humla district, 550 in Hilsa and others on the Tibet side.
Deshpande said that he had also spoken to the revenue secretary and the government officials were in touch with the Indian embassy and the Central government ministries concerned on regular basis.
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The minister was responding to BJP MLA Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri who raised the issue in the House, seeking to know from the government the steps taken to bring the pilgrims back.
Noting that an Indian Embassy representative was stationed at Simikot, Deshpande said due to heavy rains in the region around 520 Indian pilgrims, including about 250 from Karnataka, were stranded there.
He said the state government was in touch with Ministry of External Affairs, the Home Ministry, the Indian Embassy in Nepal, and basic needs like food and medicine were being provided to pilgrims.
Informing the House that due to heavy rains, helicopter cannot be operated now to bring back the pilgrims, Deshpande said attempts were being made to seek deployment of military helicopter to bring back the sick and elderly.
Meanwhile, the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), Revenue Department (Disaster Management), of the state government tweeted about resumption of air service to bring back the pilgrims.
"#Kailash Mansaovar Yatra update, air services to resume, #stranded pilgrims @ Simikot to be evacuated." it said, adding "Resident Commission's Office, Karnataka Bhavana, New Delhi has established control room to facilitate onward journey of stranded pilgrims to respective destination, liaison officers designated."
An official at the disaster management control room here said the pilgrims were from different parts of the state such as Bengaluru, Mysuru, Ramanagar, Mangaluru, Gulbarga and Hassan.
Some of the pilgrims stranded at Hilsa base camp and nearby areas told Kannada TV channels that they faced various issues, including non-availability of food and medicines, while another pilgrim from Gulbarga that the pilgrimage organisers deserted them midway, but an Indian Embassy official was in touch with them.
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