Amit Shah-led panel approves Rs 1,658 cr reconstruction plan for Joshimath

“The state government will provide Rs 126.41 crore from its state disaster response fund towards relief assistance and will provide Rs 451.80 crore from its state budget, including land acquisition cost for resettlement of Rs 91.82 crore,” an MHA spokesperson said.

Joshimath, in Uttarakhand, has been affected by landslides and ground subsidence and the Centre has extended all necessary technical and logistical support to the state government. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, all technical agencies under the guidance of the National Disaster Management Authority were put into action and helped the state government prepare the recovery plan for Joshimath expeditiously.

“The recovery plan for Joshimath would be implemented in three years, following the best practices, build back better principles and sustainability initiatives. Thereafter, Joshimath will emerge as an excellent example of ecological sustainability,” the spokesperson said.

In January this year, several houses in Joshimath developed cracks in the wake of land subsidence. According to government data, cracks had appeared on 868 structures across the town’s nine wards, while 181 structures came under the unsafe zone.

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

Joshimath also acts as a key transit point for tourists travelling to both Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib. As such, the town has several homestays and hotels, many of which have been hit by the subsidence.