The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) led by cabinet Secretary Rajiv Guaba held a meeting with the Uttarakhand chief secretary to review the rescue and relief works in the sinking Himalayan town of Joshimath in Chamoli district.

More than 600 families have to be relocated to safer locations from their homes that have developed major cracks and fissures due to the sinking of the town located at the height of 6000 feet.

The state chief secretary briefed the NCMC about the current situation. He informed the committee that residents of severely damaged houses are being shifted to safer buildings. Relief shelters have been identified in Joshimath and Pipalkoti to accommodate the affected families. Appropriate compensation and relief measures are being provided by the state government.

The top state officer further stated that the operation of the Joshimath-Auli ropeway has been discontinued and construction works in and around the Joshimath municipality area have also been stopped till further orders.

READ OUR FULL COVERAGE OF JOSHIMATH SINKING CRISIS

NDRF (National Disaster Relief Force) and SDRF (State Disaster Relief Force) have been deployed to help district administration in their relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Member secretary of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) informed the committee that a team of experts from CBRI (Central Building Research Institute), GSI (Geological Survey of India), Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, NIDM (India National Institute of Disaster Management) and National Institute of Hydrology visited the affected areas on January 6 and 7 to assess the situation. The team also interacted with the district administration to understand their requirements.

The Union home secretary apprised the committee that a high-level central team of the home ministry led by the secretary for border management was also sent to Joshimath to oversee the situation.

The Cabinet secretary stressed that the immediate priority should be a complete and safe evacuation of all residents in the affected zone. “Priority may be accorded to the demolition of vulnerable structures in a safe manner. All the studies and investigations, viz. geotechnical, geophysical and hydrological, should be completed in a coordinated and time-bound manner,” he said during the meeting.

The Cabinet secretary assured the state chief secretary that all Central agencies will continue to be available for necessary assistance.

The Union home secretary, the chief secretary, secretaries to the ministries of power, information & broadcasting, border management, water resources, and mines, besides members of NDMA, the scientific secretary to the ISRO chairman, the chairman of the central water commission, and the NDRF director general were among the top officer in attendance.

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