Joshimath News Highlights: Relief, rescue operations intensified; Prime Minister’s Office reviews situation

A day after Joshimath was declared a landslide-subsidence zone, authorities have intensified relief and rescue efforts in the Uttarakhand town with 68 more houses developing cracks.

According to a bulletin from the Disaster Management Authority Chamoli, a total of 82 families have been moved to safe locations in the town even as the overall number of subsidence-affected homes rose to 678.

With several residents remaining reluctant to leave their homes that have been declared unsafe, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary SS Sandhu, earlier in the day, insisted that that every minute is important and directed immediate evacuation of people from the affected zone.

The district administration had placed red cross marks on over 200 houses that are unsafe for living. It asked their occupants to either shift to the temporary relief centres or rented accommodation for which each family will get assistance of Rs 4000 per month for the next six months from the state government, news agency PTI reported.

Read more here

Almost a week after cracks appeared in many roads and hundreds of houses of Joshimath, Uttarakhand, authorities on Sunday declared it a landslide and subsidence-hit zone.

The announcement came after a high-level meeting took place among the senior officials of the Central government, Uttarakhand state officials, and top officers from agencies including the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH).

As of Sunday, 68 families have been evacuated to temporary relief centres and around 90 more will be evacuated soon, according to officials.

The Indian Express takes a look at what land subsidence is and what might have led to the incident in Joshimath.

Read the full explainer here

Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, a seer from Joshimath in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, said on Monday he would file a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday, highlighting the plight of civilians in the wake of the land subsidence in the holy town and seeking its intervention in the matter.

He said, "Our representative will file the petition today. It's a matter of emergency. The Supreme Court should take up the matter as soon as it finds time." He said the gateway to popular pilgrimage sites such as Kedarnath and Badrinath was in grave danger and a special yajna will be performed over a week at the Narsimha temple, starting January 22, praying for the safety of the region and its inhabitants.

"We have talked to astronomers and persons well versed in religious scriptures. We have asked them to suggest a remedy to overcome this situation. On their advice, a special yajna will be performed at the Narasimha temple here from January 22 to 31," the seer told ANI on Monday. (ANI)

The Delhi High Court on Monday asked a petitioner raising issues concerning the sinking of Joshimath in Uttarakhand to find out about the pendency of a similar issue before the Supreme Court.

Lawyer Rohit Dandriyal mentioned his plea before a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad for listing, which asked him to approach it again after enquiring about any such pendency.

“If there is a petition in the apex court on the same problem, shall the high and the Supreme Court both look into it? Inquire about it and then you can mention. Find out first,” the bench said.

Dandriyal, in his plea, has sought to direct the Centre to constitute a committee headed by a retired judge to look into the issue of the sinking of Joshimath and rehabilitate the affected families soon. (PTI)

The Supreme Court has asked a petitioner, who has sought the court's intervention to declare the crisis in Uttarakhand's Joshimath as a national disaster, to mention his plea Tuesday for urgent listing.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha on Monday asked advocate Parmeshwar Nath Mishra, appearing for Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, who mentioned out of turn for urgent listing of the plea, to follow the process and again mention on Tuesday. "Mention again on Tuesday after following the due process when your matter is in the mentioning list", the bench said.

Saraswati has contended that the incident has occurred due to large-scale industrialisation and 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 any such thing is to happen, then it is the duty of the State and Union government to stop the same immediately at war level," the plea of the Seer said. (PTI)

Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana on Monday said the Joshimath area of Uttarakhand has been declared disaster-prone, with the increasing land subsidence and cracks detected. He said two central teams, including one from the Union Jal Shakti ministry, will arrive in the holy town shortly.

"The Joshimath area has been declared disaster-prone. Two teams from the central government, including a team from the Jal Shakti ministry, are arriving here. Construction activities have been banned in Joshimath and nearby areas. Dry ration kits are being distributed to the affected people," the Chamoli DM said.

Earlier on Monday, the district administration said basic facilities at relief camps set up for the affected people were being constantly inspected. "Basic facilities in the relief camps arranged for the affected people in Joshimath are being constantly inspected by the administration and all possible help is being extended to the affected people," DM Khurana said. (ANI)

Joshimath has been declared a 'sinking zone' in the wake of continuing land subsidence, with several homes and roads developing cracks over the last few days, driving residents outdoors and triggering fear.

Taking stock of the prevailing situation in the popular pilgrimage site, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has given instructions for monitoring all ongoing development works in the area while ensuring immediate relief and rescue of residents affected by the Joshimath landslide and subsidence. He has also directed all possible help to the affected locals and speeding up of all development work in the area.

Meanwhile, Chamoli District Magistrate (DM) Himanshu Khurana went door to door in the affected area to assess the extent of damage, while urging residents in houses that have developed cracks to move to relief centres.

According to the Chamoli District Disaster Management Authority, 603 buildings in Joshimath town have developed cracks. (ANI)

With land subsidence continuing at Joshimath town of Uttarakhand, the district administration on Monday said basic facilities at relief camps set up for the affected people were being constantly inspected.

"Basic facilities in the relief camps arranged for the affected people in Joshimath are being constantly inspected by the administration and all possible help is being extended to the affected people," District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana said. Khurana said immediate inspection will be conducted by the administration if a need arises.

According to the Chamoli District Disaster Management Authority, 603 buildings in Joshimath town have developed cracks so far. A total of 68 families have been 'temporarily' displaced, officials said.

"Under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, Hotel Mount View and Malari Inn have been banned for operation and accommodation, until further orders," the Chamoli District Disaster Management Authority said in a statement. (ANI)

Raising serious concerns over the land subsidence incident in Uttarakhand's Joshimath, Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Sunday said that if tunnelling is leading to weakening structure then it must be stopped immediately, adding that a committee of the locals should be formed to analyze the exact reason behind such a situation.

Coming out in support of the people and the BJP government in Uttarakhand in these challenging times, Rawat said, "Joshimath's existence, lives and livelihoods of residents stand threatened. We stand with them. We are with the Government and the Chief Minister in this challenge. It's a little delayed but if we work promptly and the Centre uses all its might - it should be a national mission to save Joshimath," he said.

Rawat appealed to form a committee of the locals and suggested taking the advice of experts and said that if tunnelling is leading to weakening structure then it must be stopped. (ANI)

The appearance of cracks on many roads and houses across Joshimath, due to land subsidence, is neither a new phenomenon in this region — nor a reversible one. Such cracks have been observed in and around the town for several years now although this time, experts say, they are deeper than ever adding to growing anxiety and concern.

“Today’s situation is a result of a variety of reasons, both natural and man-made,” said Kalachand Sain, director of the Dehradun-based Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology whose experts are part of the government team working to salvage the situation in the hilly town.“The soil here is weak, comprising mostly of debris brought about by landslides, the area is also a highly seismic zone. Unplanned construction, population pressure, tourist infrastructure, obstruction to natural flows of water, hydel power projects, development activities have all contributed to the present situation. And all these have been very well documented over the years. The question is what can be done now? These are not processes that can be reversed.” Read full Explainer here

A high-level meeting called by the Prime Minister’s Office Sunday afternoon decided that the immediate priority in Joshimath – hit by land subsidence – should be safety of people living in the affected area. Further, the state government should establish a clear and continuous communication channel with the residents, the PMO is learnt to have told senior state government officials.

In the meeting chaired by P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, senior Central government and Uttarakhand state officials, and top officers from agencies including the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), were told to adopt a “whole of government” approach and work together to contain the situation, undertake continuous seismic monitoring, prepare a time-bound reconstruction plan, and develop a risk sensitive urban development plan. Read more

On January 5, the day work was stopped at NTPC’s 4×130 MW Tapovan Vishnugad hydel project following angry protests by residents of Joshimath in the wake of cracks appearing across the town, the company claimed its 12.1-km-long tunnel had nothing to do with the latest land subsidence.

“The tunnel built by NTPC does not pass under Joshimath town. This tunnel is dug by a tunnel boring machine (TBM) and no blasting is being carried out presently,” NTPC said in a statement Thursday. The tunnel is meant to carry river water to the plant’s turbine.

What the company did not mention is that its TBM has a history of breaches. In fact, official records accessed by The Indian Express show that since December 2009, there have been a string of “aquifer ingress” events — incidents where TBM breaks into rock that holds groundwater — along the tunnel of the Tapovan Vishnugad hydel project. Read more

It was the third day of the new year when at around 4 am, 65-year-old Mohan Singh Shah was woken up by one of his tenants living in a small room on the ground floor. The tenant complained that a large crack had appeared on a wall, and his room had tilted to one side.

Another tenant, occupying an adjacent room, had the same complaint. The next day, both tenants left. One went to Dehradun with all his belongings, while the other left for Rishikesh.

Five days later, the cracks have spread to many more houses and roads, putting the entire town of Joshimath on edge, with residents worried over whether it will survive the land subsidence. Read more

Central government agencies and experts are assisting Uttarakhand to prepare short, medium and long term plans to deal with the Joshimath situation, officials said on Sunday after the Prime Minister's Office held a high-level review meeting.

One team of the National Disaster Response Force and four teams of the State Disaster Response Force have already reached Joshimath, where people are in alarm due to land subsidence and cracks have developed in hundreds of houses.

Affected families are being shifted to safe locations, officials said.

The Border Management secretary and members of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will visit Uttarakhand on Monday and assess the situation A team of experts from 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 will study the situations and give recommendations, they said.

During the meeting held by P K Mishra, the principal secretary to the prime minister, the Uttarakhand chief secretary briefed the PMO, they added.

The review meeting was attended by the cabinet secretary, other senior officials of the central government and members of the National Disaster Management Authority.

District officials of Joshimath besides senior officials of Uttarakhand attended the review meeting through video-conferencing.

Uttrakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited Joshimath on Saturday to assess the situation on the ground, a day after he directed the immediate evacuation of around 600 affected families.

Dhami said Joshimath is an important place for culture, religion and tourism and all efforts will be made to save it.

Joshimath is the gateway to famous pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib and international skiing destination Auli. (PTI)

Joshimath has been declared a landslide-subsidence zone and over 60 families living in damaged houses in the sinking town have been evacuated to temporary relief centres, a senior official said on Sunday.

At least 90 more families have to be evacuated. The local administration has set up relief centres at four-five places in the Himalayan town, Garhwal Commissioner Sushil Kumar said.

Meanwhile, Chamoli District Magistrate (DM) Himanshu Khurana went from door to door in the affected area to assess the extent of damage and appealed to people living in houses that have developed cracks to move to the relief centres.

Joshimath has been declared a landslide-subsidence zone. More than 60 families living in uninhabitable houses have been evacuated to temporary relief centres, Kumar told PTI.

Considering the extent of the damage, at least 90 more families will have to be evacuated as soon as possible, he said.

Kumar, who has been camping in Joshimath since Thursday, heads a committee tasked with monitoring the situation on the ground level.

There are a total of 4,500 buildings in Joshimath and 610 of these have developed huge cracks, making them unfit for habitation, he said.

A survey is underway and the number of affected buildings could go up, he added.

Kumar said the affected area, including houses that developed cracks earlier and the ones damaged recently, forms a big arch which could be spread over 1.5 km.

Temporary relief centres have been set up at four-five safe places within Joshimath. Some more buildings, including a few hotels, a gurdwara and two inter-colleges, have been acquired to serve as makeshift shelters that can accommodate around 1,500 people, he said.

"Land subsidence has been going on slowly in Joshimath for quite some time but it has increased over the past week with huge cracks appearing in houses, fields and roads," the Garhwal commissioner said.

"The situation worsened apparently after a water channel beneath the town erupted last week," he said.

The priority at present is evacuating the affected people to safety, he said.

Kumar said long-term measures being explored to deal with the situation range from reconstruction to retrofitting.

Chamoli DM Khurana surveyed the affected area.

People were told to move out of unsafe and uninhabitable houses as arrangements for their stay have been made in hotels, homestays and other safe places, he said.

The state government will pay Rs 4,000 per month for up to six months to those who want to move to rented accommodations, he said, asking people not to risk their lives by choosing to continue living in the damaged houses.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who visited the affected areas in Joshimath on Saturday, held a meeting with officials here after returning and asked them to relax norms to expedite relief operations.

He said they were asked not to get entangled in long procedural complexities and take direct clearance from him for work related to drainage treatment and sewage systems in Joshimath.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Dhami over the phone to take stock of the situation in Joshimath, officials in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.

The PM sought updates on land subsidence in the town and the steps taken so far for the safety and rehabilitation of residents, they said.

They added that the PM is personally keeping a tab on the situation in Joshimath -- known as the gateway to Badrinath, Hemkund Sahib and famous skiing destination Auli.

The National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad and the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun have been asked to conduct a study of 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 Koti Farm, Herb Institute and the Horticulture Department's land in Joshimath and in Pipalkoti's Semaldala area for rehabilitation purposes. (PTI)

A public interest litigation (PIL) has been moved before the Delhi High Court seeking the constitution of a high-power committee, chaired by a retired high court judge, to look into the sinking of land and development of cracks at over 500 homes in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath.

The plea moved by Delhi-based advocate Rohit Dandriyal, who is a permanent resident of Kotdwara in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district, also seeks a direction to the Centre to inspect the affected areas immediately and to rehabilitate the displaced residents of the city. The Centre, through the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Power, New and Renewable Energy and the Ministry of Home Affairs, has been mentioned as the respondent in the PIL.

The PIL states that as a result of continued land subsidence, cracks have developed in “at least 570 houses” in Joshimath, affecting 3,000 residents. “After sinking of land, apparently caused by climate and infrastructural changes, over 60 families are reported to have left town. Officials said 29 families were taken to safer places by the administration. Nearly 500 families are either risking their lives by still living in the houses, or are looking for accommodation at other places in biting cold. More than 3,000 people are affected, said the municipality chief. That is over 10 per cent of the population,” the plea says.

Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured all possible help to save Joshimath, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said Sunday. In a telephone conversation, PM Modi took stock of the situation in Joshimath, and asked about the steps being taken to rehabilitate the affected families. Dhami, in a tweet, added, “The situation in Joshimath is being analysed. We’ll also see if other mountainous towns have achieved their toleration limit.” 

Cracks have developed in over 560 houses in Uttarakhand's Joshimath due to landslides, causing panic in the whole city. (PTI)

The appearance of cracks on many roads and houses across Joshimath, due to land subsidence, is neither a new phenomenon in this region — nor a reversible one. Such cracks have been observed in and around the town for several years now although this time, experts say, they are deeper than ever adding to growing anxiety and concern.

The main problem in Joshimath has been the fact that the town has come up on relatively loose soil, deposited by landslides triggered by earthquakes. There are lots of loose soft rocks, moraine (material left behind by retreating glaciers), and sediments. D P Dobhal, a glaciologist, said the area was once under glaciers. The soil is, therefore, not ideal for large constructions. Added to this is the fact that the area falls in a highly seismic zone, and experiences regular tremors, making the top soil unstable. Read more here

The district administration has set up relief camps for families affected by land subsidence in Uttarakhand's Joshimath, news agency ANI reported Sunday. 

The Prime Minister’s Office will be holding a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath. Officials quoted by the news agency PTI said that the PM’s Principal Secretary P K Mishra, Cabinet secretary, officials of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the state government will be a part of the meeting.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday expressed concern over the plight of people in Uttarakhand's Joshimath, where cracks have appeared in hundreds of houses, and asked the state government to take care of the affected populace and ensure their safety in this cold weather.

"The pictures coming from Joshimath in Uttarakhand are horrifying... I am deeply disturbed. Wide cracks in houses, seepage of water, cracks in the ground and subsidence of roads are a matter of great concern... A landslide caused the Bhagwati temple to collapse," he said in a Facebook post in Hindi.

"Going against nature by continuous digging and unplanned construction on the mountains has led to the people of Joshimath facing a terrible crisis today," he also said.

He called upon the Uttarakhand government to "take care of people in this harsh weather and arrange for their immediate rehabilitation and ensure the safety of the temple".

"In this bitter cold, this calamity has taken away the homes of people. I appeal to all the Congress workers there to help the people at the earliest and take them to safe places," the former Congress president 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, Joshimath is sinking gradually with huge cracks developing in houses, roads and fields there. Many houses have suffered subsidence, locals said.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered an immediate evacuation of 600 families living in houses at risk. He visited the town on Saturday to assess the situation on the ground. He also met the affected people and assured them of all help.

The central government on Friday set up a panel to conduct a "rapid study" of the occurrence of land subsidence and its impact in Joshimath in Uttarakhand. (PTI)

A plea has been filed by Supreme Court seeking to declare the current incidents of Joshimath land subsidence as a 'national disaster' & direct the National Disaster Management Authority to actively support the residents who are facing severe threat to life and property.

The plea seeks urgent intervention to assist the repair work in Joshimath, and was filed by Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati.

A variety of factors both anthropogenic and natural have led to the subsidence of Joshimath, director of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology Kalachand Sain said. The factors are not recent, they have built up over a long period of time, he said.

“The three principal factors are Joshimath's vulnerable foundations as it was developed on the debris of a landslide triggered by an earthquake more than a century ago, its location in seismic zone V which is more prone to earthquakes besides gradual weathering and water percolation which reduce the cohesive strength of the rocks over time,” Sain told PTI.

After the evacuation of people in affected areas to safety, microzonation of the town, replanning of its drainage system and rainwater outlets besides assessment of rock strength among others should be undertaken, Sai suggested.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said Saturday that scientists are looking into the cause of the land subsidence in Joshimath, but the first priority is to ensure that people are taken to safer areas. He was speaking to the media after surveying the affected areas aerially and on the ground. 

He said that geoscientists from the Guwahati institute and IIT Roorkee are working to find the reason for the 'sinking', and that talks are ongoing with ISRO scientists as well. 

"Our effort is to make everyone safe. Preparations are being made for necessary arrangements. Our first task is to take people to safer areas," he said as per an ANI report, adding: "We 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."

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday afternoon conducted a ground survey of the areas in Joshimath that had seen cracks and crumbling due to land subsidence. He also met with the displaced families who have been relocated after cracks were seen in their houses. 

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami surveyed the Joshimath town from the air on Saturday afternoon.

Piyoosh Rautela, executive director of the Uttarakhand government's Disaster Management and Mitigation Centre, said the land subsidence (which is being referred to as "sinking") was likely the rest of a breached aquifer — an underground layer of rock that holds water.

"The concerned authorities are working on it and the only way to contain the problem is to channelise the water stream," Rautela told Reuters.

The Joshimath-Malari border road, which connects the India-China border, has developed cracks at several places due to landslides in Joshimath, reported the news agency ANI.

The strategically important Joshimath-Malari border road is near the Malari taxi stand.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami arrives in Joshimath, reports the news agency ANI.

Strong resentment prevails among people here against the government for the indifference with which it treated the warnings about a dangerous situation of buildings in the Himalayan town due to heavy construction activities going on around it. They hold the NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project mainly responsible for the situation.

"We have been drawing the attention of authorities for the past 14 months. But we were not heeded. Now when the situation is getting out of hand, they are sending expert teams to assess things," Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti convenor Atul Sati said. "If attention was paid in time to what we were saying things would not have been so alarming in Joshimath," he added. 

Land subsidence had made the houses of 14 families insecure in November 2021 itself, Sati recalls. (PTI)

The central government Friday set up a panel to conduct "rapid study" of the occurrence of land subsidence and its impact in Joshimath in Uttrakhand.

An office memorandum issued by the Ministry of Jal Shakti said the panel comprising representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Central Water Commission, Geological Survey of India and National Mission for Clean Ganga among others will conduct "rapid study and examine the cause of the occurrence and its impact or key impact" and submit a report to the NMCG within three days. 

It said the committee, among other things, will cover the effects of the sinking of land on human settlements, buildings, highways, infrastructure and riverine system. (PTI) 

Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand has demanded a special relief package for the people of Joshimath whose life is in danger.

Alleging that the Himalayan region is being ruined systematically in the name of development, the Shankaracharya said the life of thousands of people in the border town is in danger. "A one time relief package for the people of the town must be announced by the government," the Shankaracharya said here while on way to the Himalayan town.

Describing Joshimath as a town of immense religious and cultural significance, he said even deity Vishnu to whom Badrinath temple is dedicated is worshipped during winter in the Narsingh temple of Joshimath. "The deity may also need to be rehabilitated along with thousands of residents of the town," he told reporters in Haridwar on Friday. The Shankaracharya will visit Joshimath on Saturday. (PTI)

The district administration subsequently put a ban on the construction of Helang bypass by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), work of the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and other construction work undertaken by the municipality with immediate effect till further orders.

The NTPC and the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) have also been asked to build 2,000 prefabricated houses each in advance for the affected families.

According to officials, on January 5, around 30 households in the Himalayan town of Joshimath in Uttarakhand were relocated to safer areas. The relocation happened after numerous houses in the region, which is prone to strong seismic activity, developed cracks.

Located at a height of 6,000 feet in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, the town, on the path to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib, is in high-risk seismic 'Zone-V'. 

Protests continued in the Himalayan town of Joshimath on Thursday as the government began evacuating families staying in houses at risk after developing cracks.

Check out the full gallery here.

Ensure temporary rehabilitation centres at safe locations, aid camps and medical facilities, including facilities for airlift operations; evacuate danger zones; activate the disaster control room immediately; draw up drainage plans in less-affected areas.

These were some of the key directions issued Friday by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami days after roads and over 560 houses in Joshimath, a key transit point for tourists travelling to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib, developed cracks due to land subsidence, triggering panic and protests among the local population. (Read more)