Friday, 15 March 2024 | PNS | JOSHIMATH
The Chamoli district magistrate Himanshu Khurana has directed departmental officials to start a survey soon of their departmental buildings and estates located in the red zone of land subsidence affected Joshimath. This will be followed by shifting of the said buildings. The district magistrate issued this direction while chairing a meeting with departmental officials on disaster risk reducation on Thursday.
Khurana said that in case of departmental buildings and estates damaged by subsidence, the departments concerned should select land for shifting their buildings and estates while also preparing a detailed project report on the same. He directed the sub divisional magistrate to hold a meeting with officials of all departments and prepare a plan for the relocation of the buildings and estates of the departments. Regarding the affected families in the red zone, the DM said that option letters should be provided to them for rehabilitation. He also reviewed the drainage and sewerage works, toe erosion and construction of GIS sub centre while issuing necessary instructions to the officials concerned. Khurana stressed that there should be no complacency in the shifting of the government buildings and estates. The Chamoli superintendent of police Rekha Yadav, chief development officer Abhinav Shah and other departmental officials were also present in the meeting.
It is pertinent to mention here that while the authorities are focusing on shifting both the government buildings and residents from the subsidence affected parts of Joshimath, the native residents have maintained that they will not relocated far from Joshimath as their ancestral lands, socio-cultural links, businesses and livelihoods are all based in Joshimath.
