Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami visits affected families in sinking Joshimath; people being shifted to hotels: Top developments | India News
Joshimath, the gateway to famous pilgrimage sites like Badrinath, Hemkund Sahib and the international skiing destination Auli, is sinking gradually with huge cracks developing in hundreds of houses, roads and fields.
At least 600 houses and other locations in the temple town have developed wide cracks due to land subsidence.
“Our effort is to keep everyone safe and our first task is to take people to safer areas. Geoscientists from Guwahati institute, IIT Roorkee and ISRO are working to find the cause of the subsidence,” said Dhami during his visit to affected families on Saturday.
Here are the top developments through the day:
CM visits affected families
During his visit, Dhami interacted with locals, met families and assured them of all help. He added that they are also contemplating if people need to be migrated from here and rehabilitated.
“We are also finding out a location for this. As of now, this is the winter season. So, we are looking into the issues that need to be addressed immediately,” he added.
The CM also met the team of officials and experts who have been monitoring the situation in the town since Thursday and took their feedback on the evacuation exercise.
State authorities and top police officials have been directed to ensure the availability of helicopters for airlifting of affected people who have been protesting day and night for temporary rehabilitation and long-term solutions.
There are cracks but not big, says Chamoli DM
Chamoli district magistrate Himanshu Khurana on Saturday said there is no subsidence in the entire area of Joshimath but there is a part of the city where there are cracks “which are not big”.
“There is a special place where cracks have increased.” he said, adding that the reasons are being ascertained by the scientists.
“The work of shifting the affected people to safer places is being done at a fast pace. At present people will be shifted by acquiring safe hotels inside Joshimath,” said the DM, adding that land is being sought for a big shelter home.
Govt provides houses
The Uttarakhand government has sanctioned funds from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for providing houses at cheaper rates to the displaced families due to the landslide in Joshimath.
As per the instructions of CM Dhami, houses will be provided at the rate of Rs 4,000 per month for six months.
The affected families, whose houses are not fit for habitation due to damage to their houses or those families who have become homeless are being given shelter in rented houses at safe places, under the Joshimath municipality tehsil of Chamoli district.
Plea seeks SC intervention in development projects
A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court to immediately intervene to assist the reparation work of Uttarakhand and to provide urgent relief to the people of Joshimath facing extremities and danger to their life and property.
The plea filed by Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, a religious leader, seeks direction to declare the current incidents of land sliding, subsidence, land sinking, land burst and cracks in the land and properties as National disaster and direct the National Disaster Management Authority to actively support the residents of Joshimath in this tough time.
The petition seeks to provide immediate financial assistance and compensation to the people of Uttarakhand losing their houses and lands on account of land sliding, land sinking, subsidence and cracking of houses and properties.
“In the name of and/or for the cause of development the respondents have no right to push the people in the mouth of death and the religious sacred town in extinction and thereby infringe the fundamental right of the people of the Joshimath including the petitioner as well as inmates of his Monastery guaranteed under article 21, 25 and 26 of the Constitution of India,” it stated.
It further said, “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.”
(With inputs from agencies)
