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shelters should be eco-friendly and in consonance with the local culture. It would be desirable for the SDMADDMAs to plan during the periods of normalcy, the layout of intermediate shelters
which is both cost effective and as per local needs with multi-use potential.
Audit scrutiny of data information provided by the Department showed that approved DDMPs of the test-checked districts did not provide for construction of intermediate shelters. This assumes
signiicance as the State of Uttarakhand is historically prone to earthquakes, lash loods and landslides. In June 2013 disaster, affected people had to be housed in inadequate facilities, or
hastily arranged premises due to lack of such shelters in pre-identiied safe locations. Instances are mentioned at appropriate places in the report.
4.6 Non-identiication of sites for safe relief camps
As per the Act, the district authorities were required to identify buildings and places which could, in the event of any threatening disaster or disaster, be used as relief centers or camps. Audit
scrutiny showed that the places where the affected people had been camped after the disaster were not safe locations as detailed below:-
i In Uttarkashi, the DDMA used the Government Primary School and the Upper Primary School at Didsari as relief camps in June 2013 disaster, as these had been identiied for the purpose in
the DDMP. However, this village had been declared as unsafe in 2002 and was recommended for relocation. Therefore, the DDMA put the lives of 115 affected persons housed in these premises
at risk. This fact was substantiated during joint physical veriication conducted by the Audit team and the representative of the DDMA.
ii In Rudraprayag, 29 families of village Chandrapuri of Tehsil Ukhimath had lost their houses and had to be put in relief camps. The camps provided to these families happened to be at a place
which was not previously identiied and was not a safe location, making the lives of these families vulnerable to future miseries. This fact had come to light when the District Magistrate visited
these families on 27
th
July 2013. iii During the course of physical veriication, the joint team interacted with 439 villagers of 36
affected villages, out of which 267 villagers 61 per cent of 20 affected villages took shelter in the nearby Government buildings or, other private buildings on their own without any support from
the Government.
In the exit conference and subsequent replies, the Government stated that the temporary shelters are identiied and listed in all the DDMPs including that of Rudraprayag. The reply of the Government
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is not acceptable as there was no DDMP in place in district Rudraprayag as was stated by the DDMA, Rudraprayag during the course of audit.
4.7 Preparation and maintenance of Database
