Joshimath, Jan 6 (IANS): A team of experts and scientists conducted a house-to-house survey in the landslide affected areas of Joshimath in Uttarakhand. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has called a high-level meeting to assess the situation.
Singh will be leaving for the city soon. The team included Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha and Garhwal Commissioner Sushil Kumar, among others.
Kumar has authorised all the technical personnel of the Project Implementation Unit division, Public Works Department, working in the Badrinath Master Plan till further orders, for immediate assessment of the buildings, hotels and other structures in the affected areas.
Along with this, in view of the increasing problem, instructions have been given to deploy National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel in the city.
Cracks have appeared in 561 houses, hotels and shops of the city, which is said to have been established by Shakaracharya centuries ago, due to frequent landslides.
Seventy seven families have left their homes and shifted to safer places.
The NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugarh hydropower project and the Marwadi-Helang bypass motor road have been shut with immediate effect, till further orders by the administration.
Along with this, the Joshimath-Auli ropeway has been closed citing security reasons.
A ban has also been imposed on the construction work being carried out in the city areas.
The district administration has issued orders to the NTPC and HCC companies to prepare 2,000 pre-fabricated houses each, in advance, as a precautionary measure to shift the affected families.
Arrangements have been made by the administration for them to stay at municipality, block, BKTC guest house, GIC, Gurudwara, Inter College, ITI Tapovan and other safe places.
The buildings which are in danger due to increasing landslides are being identified to prevent loss of life.
Nodal officers have been given the responsibility of arranging water, electricity, food, toilets and other basic facilities in the relief camps.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the NDRF have been alerted to deal with the landslides.