Profiles of water samples of Joshimath, NTPC project site different

The National Institute of Hydrology on Wednesday said the profiles of water samples taken from JP colony in Joshimath and NTPC project site are different. Citing a preliminary report of the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) which studied the water samples of the two places, Secretary Disaster Management Ranjit Kumar Sinha said their profiles are different.

"However, as I said, it is just a preliminary report from which no conclusion should be drawn," he said.

The NIH's observation is significant as it comes amid widespread allegations that the crisis in Joshimath was caused by the NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the underground channel burst on January 2 from which water has been flowing constantly was also a result of it.


Meanwhile, Chief Secretary S S Sandhu asked the central technical institutions conducting separate studies of land-subsidence in Joshimath to further squeeze the timeline for the submission of their reports as it was an issue of national priority.

The different institutions were asked to share their reports with each other and reconcile them before their submission so that there is no incoherence, Sinha said.

They were told to give clear reports suggesting solutions, he said.

In a welcome news, the water discharge from a source in JP colony area has ebbed further to 100 LPM from 123 LPM on Tuesday, he said.

It was flowing at a rate of 540 LPM in the beginning.

Evacuation of families to safety and demolition of unsafe buildings in the town continues, he said adding 258 families have so far been shifted to temporary relief centres.

After deciding to demolish 15 unsafe houses in JP colony on Tuesday, the district administration on Wednesday extended the demolition exercise to unsafe private buildings in Joshimath with Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana issuing orders to demolish two private houses and the PWD's Dak bungalow near the main market.

The two private houses to be demolished are located in Manoharbagh which falls under ward no 5 of Joshimath municipal area.

The house owners have given their consent for the demolition in writing.

The PWD dak bungalow was constructed after 1976.

These buildings had been declared unsafe by the Central Building Research Institute which is the nodal agency for the exercise.

Before this orders for the demolition of two hotels, Malari Inn and Mount View were issued and their scientific dismantling under CBRI supervision is underway.

In Delhi, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Home Minister Amit Shah and apprised him in detail about the relief and rescue measures being taken in Joshimath.