Dehradun (Uttarakhand): In an important development, the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) has prepared a detailed report regarding the landslide in Joshimath which began in January this year and affected scores of families. The 130-page report released recently has classified the affected areas into four zones in order of their increasing vulnerability to landslides.
Black Category: These are those areas which are present in high risk zone with the NDMA recommending to demolish the constructions in such areas.
Red Category: The houses in this category may not be in the high risk zone, but have been recommended to be demolished as a precautionary measure. No construction can be done in these areas in future, the NDMA recommended in the report.
Yellow Category: The houses included in Yellow Category are damaged, can be repaired as recommended by the report.
Green Category: Those houses in Green Category are those which are damaged in any way, but are not present in the risk zone and are completely safe.
Also read: Landslide causes fresh cracks in houses, roads in Joshimath
Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha said that the process of reconstruction and rehabilitation in Joshimath will be carried out by the authorities in coming months. The Disaster Management Department has also clarified the situation regarding the main Jyotirlinga of Joshimath and the Gaddi Sthal established by Adiguru Shankaracharya.
Sinha said that the Gaddi site will be completely secured by retro fitting.
Grand garden to be built in the Red Zone area: Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha said that the demarcation of high risk zone has been done in Joshimath. After the approval of the Government of India, all construction works in this high risk zone will be demolished, he said. Also, a grand garden will be built in this high risk zone by removing all the houses and other constructions, added Sinha.
He said that a map has been prepared for demarcation and determination of high risk zone. This map has also been made available to the district administration.
Delay in the process of displacement: Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha said that in the last report of PDNA (Post Disaster Need Assessment), a proposal of Rs 1800 crore for displacement and reconstruction was sent to the Centre. Of this, Rs 1400 crore is to be provided by the Centre, he said.
The rest of the amount will be arranged by the state from its own resources, he added. Sinha informed that compensation has been distributed to 150 people so far by the state government from its own budget. As soon as the budget is released by the Centre, the remaining compensation proceedings will also be started soon, he said.
