Water discharge in Joshimath reduced to 100 LPM: Disaster Management Secretary

Joshimath (Uttarakhand) [India], January 18 (ANI): Giving some positive news for the sinking town of Joshimath, Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha on Wednesday said that the water discharge in the town has reduced to 100 litres per minute (LPM) from 540 LPM.
Addressing the media about the works being done related to relief and rescue, permanent/temporary rehabilitation after the land subsidence and landslides in the Joshimath town area, Shina said, "The water discharge in Joshimath presently reduced to 100 LPM from 540 LPM. This is positive news."
He informed that Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Sukhbir Singh Sandhu has urged the directors and scientists of various technical institutes working in Joshimath to study the affected area on an immediate basis and make the study report available at the earliest.
"Landslide study in Joshimath should be done in a time-bound manner. Various technical institutes should also share their study reports with each other. Along with clarity in the study reports, the solution should also be discussed," he said.
Secretary of Disaster Management informed that in the temporarily identified relief camps, there are a total of 615 rooms in Joshimath with a capacity of 2190 people and 491 rooms in Pipalkoti with a capacity of 2205 people.
"Till now cracks have been noticed in 849 buildings. The survey work is in progress," Sinha added.
He informed that one area or ward has been declared unsafe in Gandhinagar, two in Singhdhar, five in Manoharbagh and seven in Sunil.
"Building 181 is located in an unsafe area. 258 families have been temporarily displaced in view of security. The number of displaced family members is 865," he added.
Additional Secretary Disaster Management, Director Uttarakhand Landslide Management and Mitigation Institute, Director Wadia Institute, Director IIRS Dehradun, Director NIH and Director IITR were present at the press conference.
Hundreds of residents were shifted to relief centres in safe places after cracks appeared at several homes in Joshimath, suggesting subsidence.
The Uttarakhand government has already announced relief packages worth crores for the affected families of Joshimath.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the relief package has been released for nearly 3,000 families affected by gradual land subsidence in the Himalayan state.
The Chief Minister also announced that Rs 50,000 have been given by the state disaster authority to each family as a non-adjustable one-time special grant for the transportation of goods and immediate needs of their buildings. (ANI)