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Rescue of Indian Mansarovar pilgrims continues on Day 2 (Lead)
Kathmandu, July 4 (IANS) Efforts to evacuate stranded Indian pilgrims in Simikot and Hilsa in Nepal’s Humla district due to incessant rain and bad weather continued for the second day on Wednesday as only 200 pilgrims were evacuated.
One pilgrim died on Tuesday while over 1,200 others returning from Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet are still stranded due to inclement weather.
According to officials, bad weather in Nepal has slowed down the rescue of Indian and if the weather improves by Thursday, evacuation of over 1,200 stranded Indian nationals will be completed.
“Now we have rescheduled the deadline. If the weather permits frequent flights, we will able to relocate from highlands of Simikot, Hilsa and Tibet to safe places like Nepalgunj, Surkhet and nearby Indian bordering cities,” said an official handling the rescue operation.
The officials said that none of the over 1,200 stranded pilgrims were facing shortage of food, medicine and shelter.
According to Nepal’s Ministry of Tourism, 553 pilgrims are still stranded in Simikot, 300 in Hilsa and over 3,00 are waiting evacuation in Tibet.
However, as per the Indian Embassy’s official headcount, there are 643 people stranded in Simikot and 350 in Hilsa. No casualty has been reported so far. It also said the number of stranded pilgrims in resource lean Hilsa has been drastically brought down.
“The Embassy continues to monitor the situation in Nepalganj-Simikot-Hilsa sector and is taking all possible measures to evacuate all stranded Indian nationals and Indian-origin people from the area,” a situation report of Indian Embassy in Kathmandu reads.
On the Hilsa-Simikot sector, helicopters evacuated close to 200 people, who will be airlifted to Nepalgunj on Thursday.
In a bid to expedite the evacuation process, the Indian Embassy is also exploring the possibility of chartering helicopters and operating them on various evacuation routes subject to weather conditions and willingness/ability of the carriers to ply on these routes.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.