NCMC holds emergency meeting as Uttarakhand’s Joshimath area starts sinking
11 Jan 2023
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The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) under the chairmanship of cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba held an emergency meeting on Tuesday to assess the emerging situation in Joshimath in Uttarakhand in the wake of the strange phenomena of land caving in an entire area, leaving wide cracks on the surface and in buildings.
The state government has shifted the entire population of the affected areas to safer places in order to avert any catastrophy. Uttarakhand chief secretary said that relief shelters have been identified in Joshimath and Pipalkoti to accommodate the affected families. Besides, he said, the state government is providing appropriate compensation and relief to the affected residents.
The operation of the Joshimath-Auli ropeway has been discontinued and all civil construction works in and around Joshimath Municipality area have been suspended. NDRF and SDRF have been deployed to help the district administration in relief and rehabilitation operations.
In Uttarakhand's 'sinking' town of Joshimath, hotels and other buildings that have developed dangerous cracks, will be demolished within a week, a top official said.
An NDTV report quoted senior officer Himanshu Khurana as saying that every affected family will be given Rs 1.5 lakh immediately as compensation for losing their home.
However, angry residents blocked the planned demolition of two hotels and several houses on Tuesday saying that they were not given notice and demanded compensation. The administration today met with the residents.
"We are not demolishing the hotels - we will dismantle them in one week. We had a positive discussion with hotel owners," NDTV quoted Khurana as saying.
Meanwhile, a team of experts from CBRI, GSI, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, NIDM and the National Institute of Hydrology visited the affected areas on 6 and 7 January to assess the situation. The team also interacted with the district administration to understand their requirements.
Member Secretary, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) informed the committee that
Union home secretary apprised the committee that a high level central team of MHA led by secretary, Border Management is at Joshimath for assessment of the situation.
The cabinet secretary stressed that the immediate priority should be complete and safe evacuation of all residents in the affected zone. Priority may be accorded to 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. The Cabinet Secretary assured the Chief Secretary that all Central agencies will continue to be available for necessary assistance.
The meeting was attended by the union home secretary, chief secretary of Uttarakhand, secretaries to the ministries of power, information and broadcasting, border management, water resources, mines, besides members of NDMA, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, scientific secretary to chairman Isro, chairman of Central Water Commission, DG-NDRF, DG-Geological survey of India, Scientist(SG)-National Remote Sensing Centre, CMD-NTPC, Director, National Centre for Seismology and DG Border Road Organisation.
