New Delhi, Jul 8 (IANS): With the rising number of mountaineers and trekkers in the Himalayas, the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) will raise five high-altitude rescue teams in the hill states to provide medical help and guidance.

ITBP Director General S.S. Deswal said: "The high-altitude rescue teams will comprise of mountaineers of the force."

He said: "These teams would be raised in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh so that the force spreads its capabilities to render all kinds of rescue operations, and medical help for adventure tourists in the country."

Stating that the force was the first responder in such situations in the Himalayas, the DG said that the teams would have a good number of trained and sophisticated personnel.

On why raising the teams has became necessary, Deswal said: "It has come to our notice that adventure expeditions have increased. The peaks and ranges of the Himalayas are very beautiful and trekkers and mountaineers like them a lot. The numbers of international trekkers and mountaineers have also increased. Seeing this we decided to form high-altitude rescue teams."

He said that a large number of jawans and officers are well-trained in trekking and remain in the high altitudes and 90 per cent of jawans are on duty above 9,000 feet braving extreme cold, strong winds and lack of oxygen.

He said the force is always ready to help mountaineers by all means from rescue to medical relief and guidance.