Uttrakhand, India (June 23, 2013): According to a news letter the Khalsa Aid (KA), a UK based humanitarian help NGO, has launched relief operations on 20 June 2013 to provide food and drinking water to the stranded in Uttrakhand state of India that has been recently hit by cloud burst and resultant floods.
“The KA team distributed bottled water on the busy route between Rishikesh to Joshimath, the situation is much worse than anticipated. Many people have had to travel on foot from the mountains to reach the nearest towns”, the news letter sent to Sikh Siyasat News (SSN) by the Khalsa Aid reads.
“We had to trek down the slippery mountains on foot to reach the nearest towns, we had no water and many of us have fallen ill along the way.” Gurmit Singh, a Sikh Pilgrim reportedly told KA team members involved in humanitarian help in the affected area.
It is learnt that the Khalsa Aid has set up a relief base at Joshimath, this base is now fast becoming known as the point of aid and communications centre.
According to the Khalsa Aid: “[t]he initial emergency relief phase will be over by Tuesday 25th 2013 when another storm is expected to hit the area again. Phase 2 of long term relief for the local community will commence after the flood waters subside”.