CS Anand Bardhan Reviews Dharali Relief, Orders Road, Market & Livelihood Support
Chief Secretary Mr. Anand Bardhan, on Wednesday, reviewed the relief and rehabilitation efforts for disaster-affected areas of the state, especially for those impacted by the Dharali disaster, at the Secretariat. He obtained an update from the Secretary of Disaster Management and the Garhwal Commissioner on the status of relief and restoration works in Dharali.
The Chief Secretary directed the Secretaries PWD and Irrigation Departments to visit jointly the affected area and immediately construct an alternative route for the submerged section of the Gangotri National Highway due to a temporary lake. He also instructed that other pedestrian and alternative routes in the region be repaired and made functional. Emphasizing the need for continuous search operations, he directed the use of the latest technology to expedite search efforts. He further stressed ensuring adequate arrangements for food and shelter for the disaster-affected people.
The Chief Secretary noted that the disruption of the main road has created market access issues for fruit and vegetable producers in the affected areas and surrounding regions, are facing challenges in accessing markets for their produce. He instructed the Secretary Agriculture to ensure that the Uttarakhand Horticulture Board and Mandi Parishad facilitate the procurement of produce from the affected regions. He also directed the GMVN and KMVN market cells to be activated to provide market access. Additionally, cold storage facilities must be arranged in the region.
Highlighting the importance of livelihood support, he said that there is a need to promote schemes such as the Apple Mission, Kiwi Mission, Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Self-Employment Scheme, and Homestay initiatives to assist affected people in rebuilding their livelihoods. He also instructed the immediate distribution of compensation for livestock losses incurred due to the disaster.
The Chief Secretary directed the construction of prefabricated buildings for schools, hospitals, and Anganwadi centers in the affected areas. He acknowledged that people’s certificates and essential documents might have been destroyed in the disaster, and ordered the setting up of multi-purpose camps to provide such documents promptly.
The Chief Secretary instructed the initiation of civil death certification procedures for missing persons and said that the same should also be applied to missing foreign nationals, including Nepali-origin workers and foreign tourists.
To assess property damage, he directed the use of modern technology and satellite imagery, with support from UCOST, for rapid and accurate assessments. He also called for the analysis and utilization of past studies and collected data by USDMA.
The Chief Secretary further instructed the DG UCOST to prepare a module for risk assessment of all glaciers, glacial lakes, moraines, and boulders in the state, and to involve all relevant scientific institutions in forming a dedicated team for this purpose.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary Mr. Shailesh Bagouli, Dr. Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Kumaon Commissioner Mr. Deepak Rawat, Garhwal Commissioner Mr. Vinay Shankar Pandey, Secretary Dr. Surendra Narayan Pandey, Mr. Vinod Kumar Suman, Mr. Yugal Kishore Pant, Additional Secretary Dr. Ahmad Iqbal, Mr. Anand Swaroop, Mr. Ashish Chauhan, and Mr. Himanshu Khurana, among other senior officials.
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