Cabinet secretary holdsmeeting, assures Uttarakhand of help

Union cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba on Tuesday chaired a meeting of National Crisis Management Committee to review the situation in Joshimath.

Union cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba on Tuesday chaired a meeting of National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) to review the situation in Joshimath, and asked the Uttarakhand government and respective central agencies to prioritise complete and safe evacuation of all residents, demolition of vulnerable structures and finalise all studies and investigation in coordinated and time-bound manner.

Local residents evacuate a building in Joshimath area of Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Tuesday. (PTI)

According to a statement issued by the Press Information Bureau, Gauba assured all possible help from central agencies to the state government.

“Cabinet secretary stressed that the immediate priority should be complete and safe evacuation of all residents in the affected zone. Priority may be accorded to demolition of vulnerable structures in a safe manner. All the studies and investigations, viz. geotechnical, geophysical and hydrological, should be completed in a coordinated and time bound manner,” the release said.