PMO Calls High Level Meeting Over “Sinking Town” Joshimath’s Condition

PMO: Ahead of sinking town Joshimath’s condition, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) called a high-level meeting on Sunday. They decided that the immediate priority in Joshimath should be safety of people living in the affected area.  Further, the Uttarakhand government should establish a clear and continuous communication channel with the residents, the meeting stated.

PMO’s Meeting With State Officials

The meeting was chaired by P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, senior Central government and Uttarakhand state officials. Top officers from agencies including the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) attended the meeting.

They were told to adopt a “whole of government” approach and work together to contain the situation, undertake continuous seismic monitoring, prepare a time-bound reconstruction plan, and develop a risk sensitive urban development plan.

PMO stated that the affected families are being shifted to safe locations. The Prime minister’s office also noted that Prime Minister Modi is concerned and has taken stock of the situation with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Relief and rescue efforts were intensified in Joshimath after it was declared a landslide and subsidence-hit zone. The Centre also asked experts to prepare short and long term plans for conservation and rehabilitation, given the region’s fragile ecosystem.

Moreover, the meeting was attended by the Union Cabinet Secretary, Union Home Secretary and other senior officials of the Central government and members of NDMA.

Uttarakhand Director General of Police, Chief Secretary, district officials of Joshimath, experts from IIT Roorkee, National Institute of Disaster Management and the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, joined through video-conferencing.

Also Read: Joshimath: CM Dhami Meets Locals, Shares Video; Government Announces Rs 4000 Cash Relief

Official Statements Ahead The Meeting

“In the meeting, Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand Sukhbir Singh Sandhu informed the officials that state and district officials with the support of Central experts have assessed the situation on ground and found that a strip of land with a width of around 350 meters is affected. He also informed that affected families are being shifted to safe locations and the state government had also sanctioned Rs 1 crore from the CM’s Relief Fund, which would be used mainly to help provide rent for the affected families,” said an official.

Moreover, the state government said 13 more families living in houses with house cracks were moved to safer locations. According to a media report, the number of families evacuated to temporary relief centers now stands at 68, Chamoli district disaster management office said. The number of houses developing cracks in the town has risen to 610 from 561.

During the meeting, PM’s Principal Secretary Mishra 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,” the official said.

“Mishra also asked that experts from a range of central institutions — NDMA, NIDM, GSI, IIT Roorkee, WIHG, NIH and CBRI should work closely with the state of Uttarakhand in the spirit of ‘whole of government’ approach. A clear time-bound reconstruction plan must be prepared. Continuous seismic monitoring must be done. Using this opportunity, a risk sensitive urban development plan for Joshimath should also be developed,” the official said.

-Bharat Express