CM admits 31 skeletons found in Kedarnath

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 17

Chief Minister Harish Rawat today admitted that 31 skeletons were recovered by a team sent to comb the Triyuginarayan area of Kedarnath that was the sight of massive floods in 2013.

Rawat’s statement came three days after a trekking team claimed that it saw human skeletons in Triyuginarayan. This team was part of the government-sponsored ‘Hito Kedar’ trek programme.

“Of the 31 skeletons discovered today and yesterday, the last rites of 23 persons have been performed. DNA samples have also been taken for future identification,” said Rawat, while speaking with mediapersons here.

He said the last rites of the remaining eight could not be performed due to lack of wood. “Their last rites will be performed on Tuesday and immersions will take place in Haridwar. I have instructed the officials concerned to comb the site and also the adjoining areas for 10 days,” he said.

Rawat also lashed out at the Opposition BJP for politicising the issue. “This issue should not be politicised. I am surprised at the manner in which they are accusing the state government, which resumed the operation. Instead they should ask who declared the search operation close,” questioned Rawat, putting the blame on former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, without naming him.

On being asked, if the matter regarding the discovery of human skeletons was brought to his notice a year ago by the forest authorities who were entrusted with the task of clearing the route that was in disuse, Rawat said there was a report but refused to divulge details.

He said, “The entire area was covered with boulders and silt. It was an extraordinary situation and people were saying the Char Dham route will remain shut for three years. I took an extraordinary decision to move forward,” he said.

Rawat said that he was happy that the economy was back on track. “I will not say that the skeletal remains will not be found considering the enormity of the incident,” he added.

Meanwhile, IG Sanjay Gunjyal, who undertook the search operation, said the skeletal remains that were recovered two days ago were found behind boulders. “There is a possibility that the pilgrims took shelter there and could have died due to shock or hypothermia. The 22-km stretch has no water sources,” he said.

Eight bodies to be cremated today

Personnel of the State Disaster Response Team (SDRF) have cremated 23 bodies of 31 after preserving their DNAs, and the cremation of the rest will be done on Tuesday.

Two teams of the SDRF, under the supervision of IG (Garhwal) Sanjay Gunjyal, had started the search operation on October 15. The teams set up their base alongside a river at an altitude of 3,900 meters and collected wooden logs and other materials to perform the last rites.

It may be recalled that a trekking expedition team of the Mountaineers and Trekkers Association, Uttarakhand, went to Kedarnath-Triyuginarayan route on October 2. Upon return, the team informed Chief Minister Harish Rawat about the presence of skeletons in the valley.

Gunjyal said the search operation would continue to find more bodies, if any.