ITANAGAR, 20 Oct: Members of the Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS) met the family members of missing mountaineers Tapi Mra and Niku Dao in Itanagar recently.
Mra’s sister Yatok Mra Nilo briefed the APWWS members about the search and rescue operation carried out for her brother and Dao.
She expressed dissatisfaction over the search and rescue operation and called it a half-hearted effort by the East Kameng district administration.
Nilo said that her family has not given up hope and will try to find them or their bodies once the snow cover has lessened.
“My brother brought glory to the state, and it is time for the state to remember his achievements,” Nilo said, adding that “the government should look after the welfare of the families, with the families having to beg.”
The team also heard out Mra’s aged mother and his wife.
Later, the team met Dao’s extended family members and members of the Puroik Women’s Welfare Society (PWWS) in the Puroik village in Papu Nallah.
Omem Halley of the PWWS informed the APWWS team that Dao, an orphan, was the sole bread earner of the family.
The extended family members also said that Dao’s family should be given necessary help by the state government.
Expressing solidarity with the grieving family members, APWWS president Kani Nada Maling said that the APWWS would extend all possible support to the families.
Mra and Dao went missing on 17 August, during their attempt to climb Mt Khyarii Satam in East Kameng district.
The East Kameng district administration had called off the foot-based search and rescue operation on 6 September. Due to incessant rain, the porters, army personnel and officers could not cross the Wapriyang Bung river, because of which the operation was called off.
On 21 September, a search and rescue operation conducted with the support of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force was also called off by the district administration, citing bad weather.
A third attempt to trace the mountaineers was undertaken by a 13-member search and rescue team at the initiative of Mra’s family members. It, too, failed to trace the missing duo. However, the team recovered belongings of Mra and Dao in an area beyond the second base camp.
