JOSHIMATH/DEHRADUN: After meeting all stakeholders at the ITBP base camp in Joshimath on Thursday, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that a committee has been formed under the district magistrate of Chamoli to "decide the final compensation amount for affected families and for transparent disbursement of interim assistance announced by the government".
Dhami also met with scientists from various institutions and directed them to do the "work of rapid assessment of Joshimath on a war footing" so as to proceed with the next step towards eventual rehabilitation of local residents.
About the "scientific assessment of Joshimath", Dr Swapnamita Choudhury from Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology said, "The idea is to first identify where the landscape is facing the problem. Then, we can find ways to solve it."
Another senior scientist added, "The slope is shifting... So now we have to identify which surface is moving. Only then we can provide a permanent solution."
Dhami said, "We will try to give the best possible compensation package to hotel owners and to affected families. Every year, Uttarakhand sees disasters and we overcome them. We will conduct the Auli winter games (next month) and also the Char Dham yatra successfully despite the challenge posed by the present crisis."
The committee for aid package, headed by Chamoli DM Himanshu Khurana, will have MP Pauri, MLA Badrinath, chairman of municipal council, block president, CDO Chamoli, ADM Chamoli, SDM Joshimath, tehsildar Joshimath and deputy registrar as members.