Joshimath ‘unsafe for life’, 60 families evacuated, 90 waiting

Reports say at least 90 more people are still to be evacuated joshimath area, Joshimath has been declared a landslide-subsidence zone. Garhwal Commissioner Sushil Kumar told the news agency that more than 60 families living in deserted houses have been shifted to temporary relief centres. PTI,

He added that considering the extent of the damage, at least 90 more families would have to be evacuated at the earliest. He said that there are a total of 4,500 buildings in Joshimath and out of these, 610 have developed major cracks, making them uninhabitable.

Landslides have been happening slowly in Joshimath for some time now, but have increased in the last one week, with large cracks visible in houses, fields and roads. Garhwal Commissioner Told.

“The situation worsened after a water channel burst under the town last week,” he said.

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A survey is underway and the number of buildings affected may increase, he said. Kumar said the affected area, including houses that had cracked earlier and those that were damaged recently, forms a large arch that may span 1.5 km.

Temporary relief centers have been set up at four-five safe places inside Joshimath. A few more buildings, including a few hotels, a gurudwara and two inter colleges, have been acquired to serve as temporary shelters, which can accommodate around 1,500 people.

-People have been asked to move out of unsafe and habitable houses as arrangements for their stay have been made at hotels, homestays and other safe places

State government will pay 4,000 per month for six months to those who want to move to rented accommodation, he said, asking people not to put their lives at risk by continuing to live in damaged houses.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who visited the affected areas in Joshimath on Saturday, held a meeting with officials here after his return and sought relaxation of norms to expedite relief work.

He said that he was asked not to get involved in long procedural complications and to take clearance directly from him for work related to drainage treatment and sewage system in Joshimath.

,Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Dhami Officials of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) spoke on phone to take stock of the situation in Joshimath. He said that the Prime Minister sought information about the land subsidence in the town and the steps taken so far for the safety and rehabilitation of the residents.

National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad and Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun have been asked to study Joshimath through satellite imagery and submit a detailed report with photographs.

The Geological Survey of India has also been asked to examine the suitability of the land of Koti Farm, Herbal Institute and Horticulture Department for rehabilitation purposes in the Semaldala area of ​​Joshimath and Pipalkoti.

(With inputs from PTI)