Joshimath sinking: Uttarakhand CM ordered an immediate evacuation, risk of sinking Joshimath town
Joshimath sinking: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered an immediate evacuation of around 600 families living in houses which have developed huge cracks and are at risk of sinking Joshimath town, Also known as the gateway of Badrinath temple. The State government will also pay them 4,000 per month towards rent for the following six months in addition to setting up a temporary rehabilitation centre for individuals who were forced to leave their houses due to damage. He also reviewed the situation in the sinking town with officials via video conference.
Very scary situation unfolding in #Joshimath. Massive cracks and fissures in almost all houses, major hotels and roads. More than 700 families are impacted. Leaning buildings across the town.
Families tell me, "The govt knew everything since last year but never took any action." pic.twitter.com/G9SRvmG1kV
— Tanushree Pandey (@TanushreePande) January 6, 2023
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is expected to visit Joshimath to evaluate the situation after the Congress accused the BJP government of failing to address residents’ needs for a protracted period, which left the renowned town on the edge of “sinking.”
Speaking to media persons here, the chief minister said, “Saving lives is our priority. Officials have been asked to shift around 600 families living in endangered houses in Joshimath to safe locations.”
“We are also working on short and long-term plans to address the situation in Joshimath,” he said, as quoted by the news agency PTI.
He added that a team of experts and the Garhwal Commissioner, Sushil Kumar, are camping on the ground to continuously monitor the situation, along with the secretary for disaster management Ranjit Kumar Sinha.
“In this situation of crisis, there is a need to pay attention to the safety and security of life and property,” Mr Dhami said. He also asked officials to expedite the shifting of people living in the affected areas.
Dhami said that both a short-term and long-term action plan should be created and that both should be worked on immediately. He also added that procedures should be simplified to speed up the process of treating hazardous zones, sewers, and drainage.
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Numerous homes have developed vast fractures, and many more have suffered subsidence.
According to officials, up to 50 families have been relocated to safer areas. In addition to them, 60 families who were residing in a community designed for Vishnu Prayag Jal Vidyut Pariyojana workers were relocated, according to the colony’s director Pankaj Chauhan.
The Marwari area, where an aquifer ruptured three days ago, has been hardest damaged because water keeps pouring out of it.
The National Thermal Power Corporation’s hydel project and the Char Dham all-weather road have had their development activities stopped until further notice at the request of the local population. The largest ropeway in Asia, the Auli ropeway, has been shut down because of a significant crack that has appeared beneath it, according to Rishi Prasad Sati, a former head of the local municipality.
Land subsidence has been a concern for more than a year, but it has worsened recently, he said.
