Joshimath: Uttarakhand government officials have said they will begin the demolition of hotels and houses from Tuesday in the holy town of Joshimath, which was hit by landslides and subsidence, and shifted nearly 4,000 people to safer areas. Officials said more cracks have appeared in Hotel Malari Inn and Mount View, which will be demolished on Tuesday. He said that all the residents of the ‘vulnerable areas’ have been safely evacuated.
An expert panel assessing the subsidence in Joshimath had recommended demolition of the damaged houses. The demolition work will begin under the supervision of a team of experts from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee. A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is ready to assist the district administration in the demolition work if required.
“Experts are on the ground and the administration will act on their instructions and advice,” the NDRF said. Local resident Manmohan Singh Rawat said, “They are demolishing these hotels for the safety of the 15-20 families still living here. Our houses have been destroyed.”
On Monday, District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana told that a central team is going to come to Chamoli district to take stock of the damage caused by the landslide and suggest the way forward, coordinating relief and rescue efforts with the local administration.
Khurana had earlier said, “A team from the Ministry of Home Affairs will visit Joshimath on Tuesday. The demolition work will start from Tuesday under the supervision of a team from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) Roorkee.”
A team of Ministry of Jal Shakti also reached Joshimath on Monday. The areas where the buildings will be demolished have been vacated after being declared ‘unsafe zones’ by the administration.
Officials of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) also met Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at his residence on Monday and discussed relief and rescue operations.
The officials assured the Chief Minister of an inquiry into the geographical location of the Joshimath area and the causes of the landslide. The state administration was also assured of the Center in mobilizing disaster relief.
Meanwhile, District Disaster Management Authority Chamoli issued a bulletin related to disaster management in view of the landslide in Joshimath area. According to the bulletin, cracks have been observed in a total of 678 buildings in Joshimath town area. In view of security, a total of 81 families have been temporarily displaced.
“Under Joshimath town area, 213 rooms have been identified as temporarily habitable, with a capacity estimated at 1,191. Besides, 491 rooms at Pipalkoti outside Joshimath area with a combined capacity of 2,205,” the bulletin said. The room/hall has been identified.” ,
The administration has also distributed food kits and blankets to the affected families as per their requirement as well as disbursed funds for the purchase of essential household items. A total of 63 food kits and 53 blankets have been provided to the affected locals. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has appealed everyone to work as a team and save the city. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also assured full cooperation to the state government.
Joshimath has been divided into three zones, ‘Danger’, ‘Buffer’ and ‘Completely Safe’, based on the magnitude of the danger from land subsidence or subsidence or freezing of the ground.