The Uttarakhand government on Sunday (14 October) started providing ration supplies by helicopter to villages along the China border which lack road access.

It was earlier reported that about 400 families were being forced to get essential supplies like salt, cooking oil, rice and wheat from China. The food supplies in the area was affected by the lack of proper road access in the rainy season.

On 11 October, High Court of Uttarakhand, responding to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), had directed the state government to provide necessary ration supplies to the villagers through helicopter within 24 hours and maintain the same till the winters are over, Hindustan Times has reported.

District Supply Officer Manoj Kumar Burman said a helicopter which flew from Dharchula took many sorties to provide 27 quintal ration and essential items to the area.

“The old natural paths used by villagers had been cut as the Border Road Organisation is constructing a road in the area. Due to this, the people in the area were facing problems for some time,” he said.

Burman said that the administration bought the necessary supplies after they received the order of the High Court but arranging helicopter for supplying the ration took some time.

He also said that more sorties will be undertaken by the helicopter to the villages within a few days.