Weather clears up in Uttarakhand, efforts on to trace Almora SDM

DEHRADUN: The weather cleared up at most places across Uttarakhand today giving the much needed pace to relief operations even as efforts were intensified to trace Almora SDM Ajay Arora, who fell into the Mandakini river three days ago.

Though the skies were clear, sporadic overnight rains continued bringing debris from the hills on to the roads blocking them at places.

The Rishikesh highway is blocked due to debris at Naulapani and Agastyamuni, state Disaster Management and Mitigation Centre said, adding similar is the condition of various roads in the worst-hit Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh and Uttarkashi districts.

However, clear weather at most places today gave momentum to relief operations with ration being supplied to affected areas by air, officials here said.

As the weather was clear in Rudraprayag district for the second consecutive day, fresh attempts were launched to search Arora with a 14-member team of trained PAC divers flown to scour the Mandakini in Sonprayag, Gaurikund and Phata areas in a bid to look for him, District Disaster Management Officer Meera Kaintura said.

NDRF personnel are also assisting in the search operation, she said.

A body was recovered from Mandakini yesterday but it was not that of the missing official, she said.

Police have been alerted and asked to comb the river close to the banks in search of the official, who fell into the river while returning from the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath to Garurchatti base camp on Wednesday afternoon.