In the wake of the land subsidence incident in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath, the Centre on Sunday constituted a team of experts from seven different organisations to study and submit its recommendations. The decision was taken in a high-level review meeting chaired by Principal Secretary to Prime Minister PK Mishra. The gateway to pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib, Joshimath is facing a major challenge due to land subsidence, with more than 600 houses developing cracks. A team of experts from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Institute of Disaster Management, Geological Survey of India, IIT Roorkee, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, National Institute of Hydrology and Central Building Research Institute have been tasked to study and give recommendations on Joshimath situation. In the meeting, it was also decided that the Secretary of Border Management and Members of NDMA will visit Uttarakhand on Monday and assess the Joshimath situation. Uttarakhand Chief Secretary S.S. Sandhu briefed Prime Minister’s Office from Joshimath during the review meeting chaired by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, who also was apprised that Government of India agencies and experts are assisting the state government to prepare short, medium and long-term plans. Mishra was also informed that one team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and four teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have already reached Joshimath. The Cabinet Secretary and senior government officials and members of the National Disaster Management Authority along with other officials and departments concerned attended the meeting chaired by Mishra at PMO earlier in the day. Eariler, in a telephonic conversation with the Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday also inquired about the steps taken for the safety and rehabilitation of the affected residents of Joshimath. According to Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), PM Modi inquired about the progress of immediate and long-term action plans to mitigate and resolve the concerns of residents. The CMO added that the Prime Minister was personally monitoring the situation in Joshimath and the ongoing work to ensure the safety of civilians in the area. Soon after the review meeting with the PMO Chief Secretary, DGP Police and Secretary to Chief Minister R.K. Meenakshi Sundaram conducted an on-site inspection of landslide areas. Chief Secretary Sandhu inspected the water leakage area near Jaypee Company located in Marwadi in disaster-affected areas. PM Modi also hela a telephonic conversation with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and inquired about the steps taken for the safety and rehabilitation of the affected residents of Joshimath in the wake of the land subsidence incident. Meanwhile, the district administration has made arrangements for the affected families. Following the appearance of large cracks in houses and roads, a total of 66 families are reported to have migrated from Joshimath as of now. “The district administration has made arrangements for the families affected by the natural calamity to stay in ‘safe relief camps’,” the state administration said on Sunday. Residents of Joshimath, have been alarmed after fissures started appearing in the houses and roadways and have been evacuated and shifted to night shelters of the municipality by the administration. According to the District Disaster Management Department, cracks have reportedly developed in as many as 603 houses in Joshimath as a result of continued land subsidence in the town. The affected people, their families, and children are currently living in night shelters, officials said. The locals said that the people affected by the landslide, have been assured by the government that they will get prefabricated houses. However, they are worried about when the houses will be allotted to them.
