Joshimath declared ‘landslide-subsidence zone’, PM Modi assures all possible help

People affected by the gradual ‘sinking’ of the houses wait with their belongings for evacuation at Joshimath. (PTI)

Affected families are being shifted to safe locations, a PMO statement said, noting that Prime Minister Modi is concerned and has taken stock of the situation with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Relief and rescue efforts were intensified in Joshimath after it was declared a landslide and subsidence-hit zone. The Centre also asked experts to prepare short and long term plans for conservation and rehabilitation, given the region’s fragile ecosystem.

The meeting called by the PMO was attended by the Union Cabinet Secretary, Union Home Secretary, other senior officials of the Central government and members of NDMA. Uttarakhand Director General of Police, Chief Secretary, district officials of Joshimath, experts from IIT Roorkee, National Institute of Disaster Management and the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, joined through video-conferencing.

“In the meeting, Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand Sukhbir Singh Sandhu informed the officials that state and district officials with the support of Central experts have assessed the situation on ground and found that a strip of land with a width of around 350 meters is affected. He also informed that affected families are being shifted to safe locations and the state government had also sanctioned Rs 1 crore from the CM’s Relief Fund, which would be used mainly to help provide rent for the affected families,” an official said.

प्रधानमंत्री जी व्यक्तिगत रूप से जोशीमठ की स्थिति एवं क्षेत्र में सरकार द्वारा चल रहे सुरक्षात्मक कार्यों पर नजर बनाए हुए हैं साथ ही उन्होंने जोशीमठ को बचाने के लिए हर संभव सहायता का आश्वासन दिया।

— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) January 8, 2023

State government officials said 13 more families living in houses with huge cracks were moved by the administration to safe locations on Sunday. The number of families evacuated to temporary relief centres now stands at 68, Chamoli district disaster management office said. The number of houses developing cracks in the town has risen to 610 from 561, according to news agency Press Trust of India.

A man shows the cracks that appeared at his house in Joshimath. (PTI)

“One team of National Disaster Response Force and four teams of State Disaster Response Force have already reached Joshimath. The district administration is working with the affected families to evacuate and relocate them to safer places with adequate arrangements for food, shelter and security. SP and Commandment of SDRF are stationed at the site. Residents of Joshimath are being informed of the developments and their cooperation is being sought,” the official said.

Two hotels have been closed after one building was found to have tilted towards the other, in Joshimath. (Express photo by Avaneesh Mishra)

“After the meeting, the Secretary, Border Management, and members of the National Disaster Management Authority were also directed to visit Uttarakhand on Monday to assess the situation. They will undertake a detailed assessment on the findings of the technical teams – NDMA, NIDM, NDRF, GSI, NIH, Wadia Institute, IIT Roorkee – that have just returned from Joshimath and advice the state government on immediate, short-medium-long-term actions to address the situation,” the official said.

A building tilts following landslides at Joshimath in Chamoli district, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. (PTI Photo)

In the meeting, PM’s Principal Secretary Mishra stressed that the immediate priorities for the state should be the safety of the people living in the affected area. “State government should establish a clear and continuous communication channel with the affected people. Immediate efforts should be to arrest the deterioration in the situation through practical measures that may be feasible. An inter-disciplinary investigation of the affected area should be undertaken,” the official said.

“Mishra also asked that experts from a range of central institutions — NDMA, NIDM, GSI, IIT Roorkee, WIHG, NIH and CBRI should work closely with the state of Uttarakhand in the spirit of ‘whole of government’ approach. A clear time-bound reconstruction plan must be prepared. Continuous seismic monitoring must be done. Using this opportunity, a risk sensitive urban development plan for Joshimath should also be developed,” the official said.

A building tilts following landslides in the Joshimath of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. Cracks have started appearing in the houses causing panic in the whole city. Administration is shifting residents. (PTI Photo)

The Union Earth Sciences Ministry, with its different agencies monitoring seismic activity and natural disasters across the country, has so far been limited to actively monitoring earthquakes of 3.5 magnitude and above. It is likely to widen its scope to include all earthquake prone zones, including those where lesser magnitude earthquakes and tremors regularly occur. The Ministry, which has so far not been monitoring Joshimath, is likely to start monitoring the region on a regular basis. It will also augment micro-zonation of such areas and increase mapping. A central team is expected to visit Joshimath over the next few days, while the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority, along with scientists from IIT Roorkee, National Institute of Hydrology Roorkee, Geographical Survey of India Dehradun and the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology Dehradun have been asked to submit a report to the Centre by tonight.

Water oozes out after cracks appeared in the houses due to landslides at Vishnupuram Marwari Colony, in the Joshimath of Uttarakhand, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. (PTI Photo)

“We have informed the PMO that while the Joshimath case requires further study and investigation, it so far seems like a combination of factors that has led to the sinking. These include the fact that the area was already sensitive, being in seismic zone V, being a sloped area, having loose soil and having been stressed due to recent climatic and non-climatic influences. This includes changes in climate that have led to heavy rainfall, major erosion in the region and anticipated landslides. Then, of course, there are anthropogenic activities like the increase in structures and drainage. It is also possible that the region is continuing to experience the release of energy from the 1999 Chamoli earthquake which was 6.8 on the Richter scale,” said another official.