Joshimath (Uttarakhand): In view of increased risk of cracks and landslides at Joshimath temple town in Chamoli district here, the Uttarakhand Government has initiated massive efforts to evacuate hundreds of families. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is visiting the affected areas in Joshimath today to take stock of the humanitarian situation there. Cracks seen in houses, temples and public buildings create panic in the region.
A temple in the town's Marwari area fell on a residential building on Friday, following land sinking due to subsidence. The administration promptly evacuated some people to safer places, thereby preventing any casualty. Considering emerging crisis, a high-level committee formed by the government is tasked with shifting the vulnerable residents in Joshimath to relief camps at municipal buildings, gurudwaras and schools.
Latest reports say several hundreds of houses, that have developed cracks, are on the verge of collapse, leading to panic among the residents. Nine wards in the municipal town have been extensively affected by the land sinking. The situation seems to be getting worse in Joshimath's Sunil, Manohar Bagh and Gandhi wards with huge cracks showing up on the walls of many houses.
Along with this, the Jaypee residential colony located in Marwari area has also come under threat. If it rains even a little, water seeping in the big cracks threatens to create havoc in the town.
Also read: Land subsidence in Joshimath: Centre steps in, sets up panel to conduct rapid study
Meanwhile, cracks have also appeared in the walls of Jyotirmath temple, after which CM Pushkar Singh Dhami held a high-level meeting at the Secretariat to review the current situation. The CM instructed the officials to set up a large temporary rehabilitation centre at a safe place with immediate effect. The officials were asked to make sector and zonal plans in Joshimath and evacuate the danger zones immediately to avoid any untoward incident.
In view of the landslide here, the Chamoli district administration has banned NTPC's project, Helang Marwari Bypass and all kinds of construction work going on till further notice. Garhwal Divisional Commissioner Sushil Kumar, Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha and a team of expert scientists have been directed to survey the rift-affected areas.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami along with officials will be conducting a ground inspection of the conditions in Joshimath. At the same time, former Chief Minister Harish Rawat will also be visiting Joshimath in the wake of the alarming situation here.
