Saturday, 21 January 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The recent snowfall and rains in and around the Joshimath region has increased the output of underground water which is flowing out from the ground in the Jaypee colony area of Joshimath suffering from land subsidence. The rise in the water discharge comes shortly after a drop had given the locals and the authorities a reason for partial relief. The Disaster Management secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha told media persons on Friday that the underground discharge was 250 litres per minute (LPM) on Friday. This discharge was 150 LPM on Thursday and 100 LPM on Wednesday. He informed that an amount of more than Rs 3.27 crore has so far been distributed to 218 affected families in Joshimath as advance relief. Apart from this, an amount of Rs 50,000 each has been given to eight affected families living in rented homes. He added that there are 18 pregnant women in the municipal area of Joshimath and they are not currently living in the relief camps. The health tests of these women are being done continuously. Sinha said that there are 81 children below the age of 10 years in the relief camps. He said that the number of rooms in the relief camps in Joshimath has been increased from 615 to 650. The secretary said that cracks have been identified in 863 buildings of the city and the survey work is still in progress. Out of the 863 buildings, 161 are in the designated unsafe zone. A total of 269 families comprising 900 members have so far been shifted from their homes in Joshimath.
