Bhubaneswar, June 20: The state government has geared up its machinery to rescue scores of stranded pilgrims from Odisha in flood-hit Uttarakhand.

It has sent the joint resident commissioner in Delhi to Dehradun to supervise the rescue operation, apart from opening a 24x7 control room to assist family members of those caught in the crisis. “We are in touch with the Uttarakhand government. All out efforts are being made to rescue the people,” said home secretary U.N. Behera.

One can seek information about their stranded relatives by dialling 011-24679201, 24679202, 24679203, 24679204 (Odisha Bhavan) and 0135-2710334 and 0135-2710335 (Uttarakhand).

Chief secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik said that though the exact number of stranded pilgrims from the state was not available, efforts were on to contact them. Sources said nearly 250 people were stranded in various parts — Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gourkinda and other areas. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced Rs 5 crore financial help to the flood-ravaged state.

Sources said 10 pilgrims from Bhubaneswar and 16 from Jatni were stranded in the hilly state, while at least 10 more from Cuttack had been caught at Gaurikund and Soneprayag for the past four days.

“The state government is yet to act during such times of distress. We are still not able to contact our near ones stranded at two locations,” said one Sachidananda Sahu, a doctor by profession.

Sahu said his son Siddharth, daughter-in-law and two children were caught up in the calamity at Gaurikund village on the foothills of Kedarnath, while five other relatives were stranded in Soneprayag, nearly 7km from Gaurikund.

“We had last heard from Siddharth on June 18. Though we called up on the helpline number in Delhi, they are yet to get information about my family members,” said Sahu.

Siddharth’s brother Sanjay said: “They were initially trapped during heavy rain on June 16 and somehow reached the Bharat Sevashram, which was subsequently washed away. Later, they had sought refuge at a local police station, which had to be evacuated after rainwater entered its premises. We are yet to get information about five other relatives at Soneprayag.”

P.T. Sethi, 70, a businessman of Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district, is also panicky after failing to get in touch with two of his sons and their wives, who are on a trip to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.

“I spoke to them five days ago. I am very worried about their well being,” Sethi said.

At least 30 pilgrims from Sambalpur district are also said to be stranded in Uttarakhand. “We have managed to contact a group of eight people from Rengali. They are in Netal, a place between Uttarkashi and Gangotri. However, we have not heard from 19 others from Khetrajpur, who had gone to Kedarnath. We are in constant touch with the state control room,” said district emergency officer Nihar Ranjan Dash.