The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Tuesday reviewed the situation in Joshimath and was informed by the Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Sukhbir Singh Sandhu that the occupants of severely damaged houses were being shifted to safe places. “Sandhu also informed the NCMC that 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 to them,” an official said. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla apprised the committee that a high-level Central team of MHA led by Secretary, Border Management, is at Joshimath for assessment of the situation. “Gauba 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, geotechnical, geophysical and hydrological, should be completed in a coordinated and time-bound manner,” the official said. “CS Sandhu also informed that operation of Joshimath-Auli ropeway has been discontinued. Construction works in and around Joshimath municipality area has also been stopped till further orders. Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) have been deployed to help district administration in their relief and rehabilitation efforts,” the official said. “Member Secretary, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), informed the committee that a team of experts from Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Geological Survey of India (GSI), Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) 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 official said. The meeting was also attended by the secretaries to the Ministries of Power, Information & 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 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 Roads Organisation.
