PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Dehradun district magistrate Savin Bansal walked for about 2.5 hours to reach Phulet in Raipur block, the most remote disaster-affected area of the district, on Friday.
He travelled through rough terrain after covering nearly 40 kilometres by road to Chamroli and then a 12 kilometres stretch on foot with officials including chief development officer Abhinav Shah. Bansal met residents in Phulet, Chamroli, Simyari, Silla, Kyari and Sirona villages in Raipur block and listened to their concerns regarding crop loss, damaged houses, livestock deaths and blocked pathways. On the request of villagers, he joined them for a meal and assured them that relief and rehabilitation work would continue.
The DM informed that the district administration has deployed tehsildars, block agriculture officers, horticulture officials and engineers from the Irrigation and Public Works departments in the area to assess losses and ensure compensation reaches affected families. He directed officials from Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to clear debris from blocked village tracks and restore connectivity.
The DM also approved funds at the spot for the opening of paths in Phulet, with work beginning the same day. He instructed the PWD officials to submit technical reports on damaged houses and asked PMGSY officials to provide detailed information about labourers reported dead or missing during the disaster.
The chief education officer and block education officer were tasked with visiting schools in the region and reporting on their condition. Bansal also stated that relief supplies were being delivered by helicopter till Thursday but the administration has now shifted to ground routes to monitor damage and speed up restoration work.
