[ Bengia Ajum ]
ITANAGAR, 20 Jun: With the short window for conducting a search operation for missing Everester Tapi Mra and his assistant Niku Dao running out, their families are increasingly losing hope in the state government.
Mra and Dao went missing in Mount Khyarii Satam in East Kameng district in August 2022, when they were on a mission to climb the revered mountain. Their belongings were found two months later, in October, by a search and rescue team formed at the behest of the families.
The state government, under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary (CS) Dharmendra, had conducted a meeting on 18 May to chalk out a plan to resume the search operation. Several important decisions were taken during the meeting. However, the family members have alleged that the state government has not acted upon the decisions taken in the meeting, and that now they fear that the short period for climbers to carry out a search operation – from July to September – is also running out.
“There is a very short window, and we have already submitted an itinerary to the state government. As per our itinerary, we have to start proceeding towards Mount Khyarii Satam from 1 July onwards. But till now there is no concrete plan and nothing is happening from the government’s side,” alleged Tapi Mra’s sister, Yatuk Mra Nilo, who has been relentlessly campaigning in Itanagar and Seppa for the last nine months to push for mounting a search operation for the two missing mountaineers.
“Every point was discussed thoroughly and the CS agreed on behalf of the government of Arunachal Pradesh to provide all the necessary support for the search operation. Also, the CS promised to provide us with financial assistance for a search operation and a copy of minutes of the meeting was supposed to be issued within a week. But the CS’ office has failed to keep its word,” she added.
Further, she claimed that, in the 18 May meeting, many assurances were given, including collection of equipment for the search team, but there has been no follow-up action.
“It was decided that some of the equipment would be provided by the NDRF and the NIMAS to bring down the cost involved in purchase of equipment. However, we have not heard anything till now about it,” she said.
Nilo also informed me that, in the last one month, she visited the CS’ office several times to get an update but no official has shared any update.
Frustrated with the situation, Nilo has written to the chief secretary, wanting to know whether the government will extend support for the search operation.
“The family members are in a dilemma as to whether the government will provide funds for the next search operation. It should tell us by the 25th of this month the decision of the state government,” she said.
Also, she informed that a team is already working on the ground, preparing a route, and that 90 percent of the work has been completed.
In September 2022, the ground search operation for the duo was called off by the state government. Mra’s family later constituted a team, led by Everester Tagit Sorang, to carry out search and rescue operation. They managed to find the belongings of the two mountaineers, giving a ray of hope. However, the operation had to be cut short owing to deteriorating weather conditions in Mt Khyarii Satam.
