Udham Singh Nagar (Uttarakhand) [India], August 29 (ANI): The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescued 34 people, including 21 children, stranded on the far side of a river in Udham Singh Nagar district after water levels rose suddenly near Maria School in the Kunda area on Friday, officials said.

According to officials, police at Patrampur outpost alerted the SDRF after receiving information that several schoolchildren and locals were trapped.

Upon receiving information, the Rudrapur SDRF team, led by Inspector Arjun Singh Bisht, reached the spot with rescue equipment and a raft.

'After assessing the situation, the team crossed the swollen river and evacuated 11 men, two women and 21 children to safety,' officials said.

Earlier, the same team had also rescued a man trapped in the river in the Kunda area and handed him over to the district police, they added.

Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami issued directions to senior officials, the disaster secretary, and district magistrates at his official residence in the morning for relief and rescue operations due to the heavy rains in Rudraprayag, Chamoli, and other districts.

CM Dhami spoke to the District Magistrates of Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Tehri, and Bageshwar districts, in view of the recent cloudburst and heavy rains, and directed them to conduct relief and rescue operations at a fast pace.

According to a release, the Chief Minister instructed officials to relocate the affected people to safe areas immediately and to avoid any delays.CM Dhami, in a high-level disaster management meeting held at the Chief Minister's residence, directed officials to provide all basic facilities in the affected areas as soon as possible.

'In case of disruption of road, electricity and drinking water supply, they should be made operational immediately,' he said.

He received detailed information about the incidents of cloudburst from the District Magistrates of Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Tehri and Bageshwar through virtual medium and directed them to expedite the relief and rescue operations further.

The Chief Minister also inquired about the rain and the condition of the roads from the District Magistrate of Nainital.

The Chief Minister also made it clear that the government and 'administration should remain on alert mode throughout the monsoon season. Whatever necessary resources and facilities are required for disaster relief work by the District Magistrates, they should be made available immediately. Also, it should be ensured that the affected families get compensation as per the prescribed standards soon.' (ANI)