Sinking Joshimath: Administration starts demolition of precariously standing hotels

Joshimath (Uttarakhand) [India], January 12 : The process of demolition of damaged hotels in the Joshimath area of Uttarakhand has started by the administration, informed officials on Thursday.
In preparation for the demolition, the road where the precariously standing hotels are located has been closed. A heavy deployment of police and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) officials can be seen on the demolition site.

IG Garhwal Range Karan Singh Nagnyal said that all movement in the area near the hotels that have to be demolished had been stopped to ensure the safety of people.

"NDRF, SDRF, Civil Police and the local administration are here. All movement in the area near the hotels that have to be demolished has been stopped to ensure the safety of people. The process of demolition of damaged hotels has started," said IG Garhwal Range Karan Singh Nagnyal.
Uttarakhand Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha said that if any situation arises during the relief and rescue operation, the army helicopter is on standby, and our helicopter is on standby too.
Ranjit Kumar Sinha was addressing a press conference at the Media Center Secretariat regarding the relief and rescue operations being conducted in the Joshimath town area.
"If any situation arises, the Army helicopter is on standby, and our helicopter is on standby too. Army unit is also on standby," said Ranjit Kumar Sinha.
He said that eight teams of SDRF have been deployed at Joshimath for disaster relief operations, while two teams of NDRF have also been deployed.
"Eight teams of SDRF are deployed at Joshimath for disaster relief operations. Rs 2.14 Crores was issued for the protection of electric cables and poles. Two teams of NDRF are also there, one team is on its way," said Ranjit Kumar Sinha.
Ranjit Kumar Sinha added that house rent of Rs 4,000 each has been provided to 3 families so far.
"169 families - 589 people - relocated so far. Rs 5000 per family provided for general expenses to 73 families so far - Rs 3,65,000 in total. Rs 1,30,000 each provided to 10 families so far as per SDRF provisions -Rs 13 Lakh in total," said Ranjit Kumar Sinha.
Uttarakhand state government has announced a relief package of Rs 45 crore to families in Joshimath, where large cracks appeared in homes and on roads.
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.
"For the time being, interim assistance of Rs 1.50 Lakh per family is being given. An advance amount of Rs 1 lakh has been given to the affected land owners or families due to landslides in the affected area before the permanent settlement displacement policy is prepared," Dhami told reporters.
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.
Due to landslides in the Joshimath city area, over 720 buildings have been identified that developed cracks. Residents, as a part of the rehabilitation, have been moved to safer places even as geologists and experts scramble to ascertain the reasons for subsidence in the ecologically fragile region.
Officials have stopped construction projects in the region and the government formed a committee to look into the incident and the situation arising out of the sudden crisis.
Dhami has instructed the Chief Secretary to ensure speedy assistance to people affected by the sinking of their town.
"From the point of view of security, the families who are being shifted to other places should be ensured that all better necessary arrangements are there," the Chief Minister added.
Dhami, who is in Joshimath to hold meetings in the wake of land subsidence in the area, started his day on Thursday by offering prayers at the Narsingh Temple.
"On-site inspection of the affected areas in Joshimath and meeting with local citizens," Dhami tweeted on Wednesday.
According to an official statement, the Chief Minister will hold a meeting with army officers and ITBP officers along with a meeting of the committee constituted for the transparent distribution of interim package to families affected by landslides and to determine the rate of rehabilitation package.