Secretary disaster management assures of government’s full support to the victims of Joshimath !

While hundreds of residents of Holy town Joshimath were on Friday holding a protest demonstration demanding closure of NTPC hydropower project and Helang Marwadi Bypass including immediate rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced families, the secretary of disaster management Dr. Ranjit Sinha was busy addressing the media assuring the displaced population to exercise restraint as the government and geological scientists are busy assessing the situation in the holy town appealing to the people not to be apprehensive as according to him the situation will be brought under control in the near future.

Addressing a press conference Secretary disaster management Dr. Ranjit Kumar Sinha on Friday said that the subsidence of the Joshimath land and sinking is nothing new but happening since 1976, saying that it has undoubtedly increased presently.

Emphasising that a dedicated team of geological scientists are relentlessly engaged in trying to find out the real cause of subsidence at Joshimath further assuring that the scientists have also expressed confidence of finding a credible solution to this problem.

According to their report the scientists have expressed optimism of finding a credible solution to the phenomena of subsidence said Dr. Ranjit Sinha while addressing the media and answering to their queries.

He confidently said that the holy town will remain intact and people would be safe as the geologists, and the government is fully determined to set right the situation in the future.

Expressing his disenchantment over media reports that there has been 50 metres deep cracks leading to sinking of Joshimath, he catagorically said that nothing will happen to the holy town and it will be intact, not to worry as the government is doing its best to do the needful positively.

Quoting the geological scientists after his interaction with them disaster management secretary Dr. Ranjit Sinha said that the scientists have revealed that the land above in Joshimath is dry and the land below is wet, meaning that the water is coming from below.

The scientists have assured that the problem of sinking would be gradually resolved.

Revealing that scientists of eight institutions have been involved in the research work in Joshimath – it has been observed that the slant area of the holy town is generating maximum cracks including the houses and buildings than the structures situated on plain areas.

Therefore special emphasis is being accorded to slant areas of Joshimath hills.

Moreover, after the report of the geological scientists comes forward then only will the actual and concrete solutions would be energised to set right n correct the situation said the disaster management secretary Dr. Sinha while interacting with the media.

According to ‘Jagran” report in reply to a question Dr Ranjit Sinha disclosed that a meeting of high level committee will be held on Monday which will decide on the Joshimath’s rehabilitation, resettlement and rahab of the displaced persons whose houses have developed cracks, including reconciliation and correction of the affected areas n people including financial package for the sufferers.

The meeting will also discuss to provide maximum financial package to the victims he added.

The meeting will also take a final decision on the proposal of maximum financial package to be sent to central government for final approval said Dr Sinha adding further that the concerned organisation has been finally given three days time to finalise the model of pre fabricated houses to be built initially to house the displaced persons of Joshimath so that early n expeditious constructions of these pre fabricated houses could start.

Kindly recall that the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had assured to built two thousand such temporary pre fabricated structures to house the displaced persons.

Apart from these actions Disaster Management secretary also shed light on the drainage plans of Joshimath under which he said that in the first leg the DPR of five big drains have been prepared.

Apart from this, the Water department had prepared the DPR worth Rs 200 crores concluding that roads, water, electricity, drainage n sewerage etc will be part of this scheme.