Uttarkashi, Aug. 12 -- Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday directed officials to immediately identify landslide, avalanche and disaster-prone areas in the state's hill districts, warning that no new settlements or construction will be permitted at such sites once they are marked. Chairing a high-level meeting on disaster management and safety in Dehradun, Dhami said both government and private constructions will be prohibited on natural water sources as well as along riverbanks and mountain streams. "Clear guidelines must be issued to all district magistrates, and their enforcement should be closely monitored," he said, adding that strict disciplinary action would be taken against officers who flout these directives. The CM said "preventive measures should be given priority" over reactive steps, and called for "concrete and effective action in public interest" to safeguard vulnerable areas from future disasters. Meanwhile, chief secretary Anand Bardhan on Monday directed Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST) director general professor Durgesh Pant to immediately analyse glaciers and glacial lakes in the high-altitude region above Dharali in Uttarkashi, assessing any risks they may pose. He said similar studies should be undertaken across the state's high-altitude zones, with priority given to sensitive locations like Dharali and Rishiganga. Bardhan said the Uttarakhand Space Application Center (U-SAC) will serve as the nodal agency for monitoring of such areas, coordinating with the National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC), Institute of Remote Sensing Satellite (IRSS), and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He directed work on installing sensors for continuous observation of high-altitude lakes be expedited, and that support be sought from the National Institute of Hydrology....