A sum of Rs 20 crore has been released under the SDRF head for rescue and relief works in the disaster affected Reni area near Joshimath in Chamoli district. Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat held a meeting with senior officials at the secretariat to check the status of the rescue and relief efforts in the affected area on Monday. Later in the day he also visited the affected area.
The CM directed that food items should be available in adequate quantities in the area. He also instructed officials to conduct surveys from time to time in areas vulnerable from the viewpoint of disaster. Teams of the State Disaster Response Force should be posted near sensitive areas. The Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) director Prakash Chauhan informed that there is a probability that fresh snow may have resulted in the glacier break which resulted in the disaster.
Officials informed in the meeting the supply of water and electricity is on in the area around the disaster affected area. One thousand ration packets and other materials have been sent for immediate relief even as rescue work is continuing.
The chief secretary Om Prakash informed that the intention of the government is also to provide financial assistance to the families of those missing in the disaster. Standard operating procedure (SOP) will be issued soon to facilitate this.
During the late afternoon, the CM reached the affected area in Tapovan and held a meeting with senior officials of the police, district administration and other agencies involved in the rescue and relief efforts in addition to the representatives of the company undertaking the hydro power project. Reviewing the rescue efforts, Rawat directed that the rescue operation be speeded up with better coordination. Changes should be made in the method as and when required in a planned manner during the rescue operation, he said. The CM also directed the DM to provide timely media briefings to prevent the spread of incorrect information.