Cabinet minister took stock of disaster works in the district.

Chamoli: Cabinet Minister and Minister in-charge of Chamoli district Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat reached Chamoli on Tuesday and chaired a meeting regarding disaster management preparedness during the monsoon period. He instructed all the departmental officers to work with coordination, cooperation and team spirit to deal with the challenges of the disaster.

The minister in-charge said that adequate number of machines and manpower should be arranged to open the highways and rural roads in the rainy season. When the road is blocked, it should be made smooth by keeping minimum response time. Speedy work should be done to open the roads which are still closed.

The Minister in charge directed the Jal Sansthan to find a permanent solution to the problem of dirty water in the urban areas during the rainy season. For an immediate alternative arrangement for pure drinking water should also be ensured. Availability of food grains in sufficient quantity should be ensured to all the cheap grain vendors of the remote village areas of the district. Adequate stock of diesel and petrol should be kept at petrol pumps. Damaged electric poles and hanging electric wires should be repaired in village areas. To keep the power supply smooth, transformers should be ordered and kept in advance.

The minister in-charge directed that the families living in landslide-affected buildings in Bahuguna Nagar, Gopeshwar and Karnaprayag Municipality should be immediately shifted to safer places. Instructed the health department to provide proposals for repair of damaged buildings in all ANM centers, CHCs and PHCs. The Forest Department was asked to keep all the footpaths in the forest areas smooth. The in-charge minister said that cattle rearers are worried about the spread of lumpy skin disease among animals. Along with timely vaccination of animals, a proposal should be made available to the government to provide relief to the cattle herders from disaster.