The tourists – comprising 13 women and 4 men from Bhilai Garh–Sarangarh district of Chhattisgarh – had begun their trek from Nrusinghnath (Bargarh) to Harishankar (Balangir) on the evening of 23 July.
At least 17 tourists, mostly women, from Chhattisgarh, who were stranded for almost 24 hours in terrains of Gandhamardan hills as torrential rain battered the area, were evacuated safely by Odisha’s Bargarh police in a swift and challenging operation.
The tourists – comprising 13 women and 4 men from Bhilai Garh–Sarangarh district of Chhattisgarh – had begun their trek from Nrusinghnath (Bargarh) to Harishankar (Balangir) on the evening of 23 July. Due to inclement weather and poor visibility, they lost their way and were stranded on an elevated terrain overnight, said Superintendent of Police, Bargarh, Prahlad Sahai Meena.
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It was quite an arduous and challenging exercise to evacuate the stranded tourists from the inhospitable terrains as accessibility to the place was a herculean task because of incessant rain. Apprehension of a landslide also loomed large, forcing the rescue team to wait till the intensity of rain lessened, SP Meena said.
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The electronic tracking of mobile phones of stranded tourists and GPS tracking of their location proved handy to reach the stranded tourists.
Despite the operation taking place in the Naxal-affected and geographically challenging terrain of Gandhamardan Hills, the swift and courageous action of the Bargarh District Voluntary Force team ensured the safe evacuation of all 17 individuals.
Upon receiving information, Bargarh Police promptly launched a rescue operation by deploying a dedicated team of the District Voluntary Force (DVF), comprising 30 commandos, with necessary food supplies, first-aid kits, and rescue gear. The team navigated through challenging terrain and reached the stranded group early this morning.
After establishing contact, the tourists were provided with food and preliminary medical attention on-site. They were then safely escorted down to the base camp at Nrusinghnath, where a medical team further examined their condition. All tourists were found to be stable; a few were administered minor medication by doctors as precautionary measures, said the senior police official.
“I personally supervised the rescue operation from ground zero and ensured the safe evacuation of all individuals. Inspector General of Police, Northern Range, Himanshu Lal, also visited the site to monitor and oversee the rescue efforts firsthand”, concluded Superintendent of Police, Meena.
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