Uttarakhand toll reaches 150, PM announces Rs. 1000 relief package

Dehradun: The terrible magnitude of nature’s fury in Uttarakhand unfolded on Wednesday as the death toll rose to 150 with fears that it may go up substantially as large parts of the state remained under water while hundreds of houses and buildings lay in ruins. 
After an aerial survey of the affected areas, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a Rs 1,000 crore aid to the state where large-scale devastation has occurred.

“I have also directed all Central agencies to render all possible assistance in their domain to the state,” he told reporters on his return.

The Prime Minister said it is feared that the loss of lives could eventually be much higher.
“So far, more than 10,000 people have been rescued and are being provided food, clothing and shelter. Many persons still remain stranded. The maximum damage has been in Kedarnath and its vicinity,” he said.

Skies cleared on Wednesday enabling stepping up of rescue and relief operations but the efforts were hampered by the vast destruction of the roads caused by landslips and flash floods that damaged hundreds of houses, buildings, hotels and government guest houses.
Several thousand pilgrims from across the country are still stranded in the state as reports came that the Kedarnath temple, one of the four holy dhams, was intact but the temple complex and the Rambada area around it have suffered total destruction.

The state and Central governments have deployed all possible resources to deal with the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.