Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
Evacuation to be priority of govt, CM Dhami says in Joshimath
DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday conducted an aerial and ground inspection of the “sinking” Joshimath town, facing a growing threat from land subsidence that has resulted in cracks in over 600 houses, and assured the displaced families of all help.
Land subsidence in Joshimath town, which has a population of over 20,000, has resulted in cracks in 603 homes. A total of 44 families have been shifted to safer places, so far.
The city in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district is a key route taken by tourists travelling to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib, and is situated at a height of 6,000 feet. It falls in high-risk seismic Zone-V.
“Evacuating affected families in the danger zone to safe locations is the government’s priority for now,” Dhami told reporters after meeting the team of officials and experts who have been camping in the town since Thursday.
He also ordered the immediate setting up of two coordination committees – one at the government level and another at the regional level – to expedite the relief and rescue work.
On Friday, the CM ordered the immediate evacuation of families who are at risk of their homes collapsing following a spate of protests by the local residents.
During the inspection on Saturday, Dhami walked through the narrow streets in the affected areas and went inside houses in which huge cracks have appeared on the walls and ceilings.
“We are also working on a long term rehabilitation strategy,” he told the affected families, adding that suitable places for relocation of residents near Pipalkoti and Gauchar, located 35 kms and 90 kms, respectively, from Joshimath are also being identified.
The CM’s visit came days after the state government halted all construction works, including big-ticket central projects nearby for a hydroelectric powerplant and a road network.
Apart from notifying Joshimath as landslide affected, an additional amount of ₹11 crore has been made available to Chamoli district magistrate for relief and rehabilitation work.
Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI: A man has moved the Supreme Court seeking that the crisis in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath, where cracks have appeared in hundreds of houses, be declared as a national disaster.
Contending that the incident has occurred due to large-scale industrialisation, the plea filed by Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati sought immediate financial assistance and compensation to the people of Uttarakhand.
The plea has also sought direction to the National Disaster Management Authority to actively support the residents of Joshimath in this challenging time.
“No development is needed at the cost of human life and their ecosystem and if anything such is happening it is the duty of the State and Union government to stop the same immediately at war level,” the plea said. Joshimath, the gateway to famous pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib and international skiing destination Auli, is facing a major challenge due to land subsidence.