Chandigarh, June 18, 2013 (YP Bureau)

Sri Hemkunt Sahib Management Trust has rejected the reports appearing in a section of press that there has been considerable damage to Gurdwara Gobind Ghat.

Claiming that the main building of Gurdwara Gobind Ghat was safe, the Management has also refuted the reports that four 'saroops' of Sri Guru Granth Sahib have been lost due to rains.

The management said that though few rooms of Gurdwara complex were washed away but main building of Gurdwara Sahib is safe.
 
The management has also claimed that there has been no loss of life even as many vehicles have been washed away.

Narinder Jeet Singh Bindra, Chairman of Uttrakhand Minorities Commission and the vice-chairman of Hemkunt Sahib management Trust has said that timely action was taken to shift the 'Birs' of Shri Guru Granth Sahib to a higher place and the Darbar Hall of the Gurdwara is also safe.  "It has not been washed away" as reported", he said.

Bindra said that they were in touch with the staff at different points through satellite phones. He was appreciative of the staff who he said were instrumental in evacuating the pilgrims to higher and safer places.  

It is pertinent to mention here that the bridge adjacent to Gurdwara Gobindghat connecting Gobindghat and Gobinddham was washed away.

Bindra claimed that army has started work to built a temporary bridge to make way for the stranded pilgrims.

"Ten Army Helicopters have been pressed into service to rescue the stranded pilgrims but it is not possible to airlift all the pilgrims, so Army and ITBP are on the job to make alternative arrangements for evacuating the pilgrims", he said.

He said that the management had supplied food packets to t he army for airdropping the same for the benefit of the stranded pilgrims. 

The Management has made arrangements for around 9000 pilgrims at Gobind Ghat.  "Though food and medicines have also been washed away, still we have sufficient stocks of both to cater to the pilgrims", he said.

Giving details of the rescue operation he said around 2500 pilgrims were evacuated to safe places on Monday and the operation was continuing on Tuesday too.

"It is good that there was no rain on Tuesday though the weather again turned to be cloudy in the later part of the day."

Bindra appealed to the pilgrims and their families back home not to panic as the management and government agencies were working round the clock for the safety and evacuation of stranded pilgrims.