U'khand Chief Secretary holds high-level meet, directs officials to vacate affected area in Joshimath without delay

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], January 9 (ANI): In view of the land subsidence in Joshimath, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary SS Sandhu instructed the officials to vacate the affected area without any delay and make proper arrangements for the people at the place where they are being shifted.
The Chief Secretary held a meeting with the high officials of the government regarding the Joshimath landslide at the secretariat on Monday.
According to an official statement, Sandhu gave the instructions to ensure proper arrangement of drinking water for the shifted people.
"Due to landslides, broken drinking water lines will increase landslides and power lines will be affected. In order to avoid loss of life and property in the area, keeping an eye on the area, the high officials were also instructed to remain in the area," he said.
Instructing the work to start from today itself to prevent toe erosion in the landslide area, the Chief Secretary said that the buildings which have developed cracks and have become dilapidated should be demolished immediately so that they don't do any more damage to the building.
He instructed the officers that arrangements should be made to bring experts etc. by chopper so that it does not take time to reach the affected area. Instructions were also given to complete the work soon by increasing the manpower.
Joshimath, which is witnessing land subsidence forcing the Uttarakhand government to shift the locals to safer places, has been divided into three zones based on the magnitude of possible danger, an official said on Monday.
This comes after the Joshimath area was declared disaster-prone following cracks developing in the buildings of city. According to Chamoli District Disaster Management Authority, 603 buildings in Joshimath town have developed cracks so far.
Owing to the latest developments, the administration has divided the city into three zones, 'Danger', 'Buffer', and 'Completely safe' zones.
Speaking to ANI, Secretary to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, R Meenakshi Sundaram said that the administration is conducting a survey to assess the danger and buffer zones.
"The zone which is totally unsafe, that has to be evacuated immediately, that has been called a danger zone. A buffer zone is a zone which is presently safe but can be endangered in the future. And the third is the completely safe zone. A survey is underway for the danger and buffer zone," he said.
The official said that the administration is also collecting data of the professionals living there.
"We are collecting the details of the number of affected families including how many are residential and commercial. Besides this, we are also collecting data of the occupation of the families. Based on this, the decision can be taken on where to shift them. I am taking a look at the possible places," Sundaram said.
He said that the buildings which have sustained the most damage will be demolished.
"The buildings which are most damaged will be demolished under the monitoring of NIM and PWD. The administration is making preparations for it," he said.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured the state of all the possible help in the wake of the land subsidence in the holy town of Joshimath.
The CM said that Prime Minister Modi was seized of the situation in Joshimath and taking regular updates.
After nine wards or municipal areas of the Joshimath were declared as a 'sinking zone', CM Dhami said he had called for a collective effort at this hour of crisis.
"We have urged everyone to work as a team and save Joshimath. Residents of 68 houses, which were deemed to be in danger of collapse, have been shifted. An area spreading across 600 houses has been earmarked as a danger zone and efforts are underway to shift the residents inhabiting the area. At this time, everyone needs to come together to save Joshimath," the CM told ANI. (ANI)