As the families living in damaged houses in the sinking town of Uttarakhand’s Joshimath are being shifted to temporary relief centres, the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday reviewed the situation in a high-level meeting where the assistance from the Central government to state government and several other measures were discussed.
The Principal Secretary to Prime Minister chaired the meeting and was attended by senior officials of the Government of India, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) members, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary, District Officials of Joshimath among others.
It was informed that PM Narendra Modi is concerned and has reviewed the situation with the Chief Minister.
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The Government of India agencies and experts are assisting state government to prepare short, medium and long term plans. One team of NDRF and 4 teams of SDRF already reached Joshimath.
Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Sukhbir Singh Sandhu briefed the PMO on the situation. Secretary Border Management and Members of NDMA to visit Uttarakhand tomorrow and assess the situation. Team of experts from National Disaster Management Authority, National Institute of Disaster Management, Geological Survey of India, IIT Roorkee, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, National Institute of Hydrology and Central Building Research Institute to study and give recommendations.
The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister stressed that the immediate priorities for the state should be the Safety of the people living in the affected area. State Government should establish a clear and continuous communication channel with the affected people. Immediate efforts should be to arrest the deterioration in the situation through practical measures that may be feasible. An inter-disciplinary investigation of the affected area should be undertaken.
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Joshimath Declared Landslide-subsidence Zone
Meanwhile, Joshimath has been declared a landslide-subsidence zone and over 60 families living in damaged houses in the sinking town have been evacuated to temporary relief centres, a senior official said on Sunday.
At least 90 more families have to be evacuated. The local administration has set up relief centres at four-five places in the Himalayan town, Garhwal Commissioner Sushil Kumar, who has been camping in Joshimath since Thursday, heads a committee tasked with monitoring the situation on the ground level.
There are a total of 4,500 buildings in Joshimath and 610 of these have developed huge cracks, making them unfit for habitation, he said, adding that the affected area, including houses that developed cracks earlier and the ones damaged recently, forms a big arch which could be spread over 1.5 km.
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The state government will pay Rs 4,000 per month for up to six months to those who want to move to rented accommodations, he said, asking people not to risk their lives by choosing to continue living in the damaged houses.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who visited the affected areas in Joshimath on Saturday, held a meeting with officials here after returning and asked them to relax norms to expedite relief operations. He said they were asked not to get entangled in long procedural complexities and take direct clearance from him for work related to drainage treatment and sewage systems in Joshimath.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Dhami over the phone to take stock of the situation in Joshimath, officials in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.
The PM sought updates on land subsidence in the town and the steps taken so far for the safety and rehabilitation of residents, they said. They added that the PM is personally keeping a tab on the situation in Joshimath — known as the gateway to Badrinath, Hemkund Sahib and famous skiing destination Auli.
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The National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad and the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun have been asked to conduct a study of Joshimath through satellite imagery and submit a detailed report with photographs, news agency PTI reported.
The Geological Survey of India has also been asked to examine the suitability of Koti Farm, Herb Institute and the Horticulture Department’s land in Joshimath and in Pipalkoti’s Semaldala area for rehabilitation purposes.
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