Guwahati: The holy town of Joshimath developed fractures as a result of the landslide and subsidence and authorities there announced on Tuesday that they would begin demolishing hotels and homes there.
Officials announced that the more-cracked hotels Malari Inn and Mount View would be razed on Tuesday noting that all inhabitants had been safely evacuated from the ‘unsafe zones’.
Under the direction of a group of professionals from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee the demolition of structures will get underway.
When necessary, a team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will support the district administration’s demolition efforts.
“Experts are on the ground and the administration will take action on their directions and advice,” said the NDRF.
“They will be demolishing these hotels for the safety of the 15-20 families still living here. Our houses have been destroyed,” said Manmohan Singh Rawat, a local.
District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana announced on Monday that a central team will be arriving in the Chamoli district to assess the damage the ground subsidence has caused to properties and make recommendations for the future while working with the local government on relief and rescue efforts.
“A team from the Ministry of Home Affairs will come to Joshimath on Tuesday. Demolition of buildings will start tomorrow under the supervision of the team of Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) Roorkee,” Khurana had said earlier.
The Ministry of Jal Shakti delegation also arrived at Joshimath on Monday.
The administration has cleared the areas around the structures that will be demolished after deeming them “unsafe zones.”
Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister of Uttarakhand received a visit on Monday from representatives of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), who also spoke with him about relief and rescue efforts.
The officials informed the chief minister that a probe will be conducted into the physical characteristics of the Joshimath region and the factors that led to the landslide. The state government was promised a key role in organising disaster relief.
Meanwhile, a disaster management advisory was released by the Chamoli District Disaster Management Authority in response to landslides in the Joshimath region.
The alert claims that 678 structures in the Joshimath town region have fractures in them. A total of 81 families have been temporarily relocated due to security.
“Under Joshimath city area, 213 rooms have been temporarily identified as habitable, with their capacities estimated at 1191. Also, 491 rooms/halls have been identified in Pipalkoti outside Joshimath area, with a combined capacity of 2,205,” the bulletin said.
The administration has also distributed food kits and blankets to the affected families, as per their requirements along with the distribution of funds to procure essential household items.
A total of 63 food kits and 53 blankets have been made available for the affected locals.