Joshimath updates: Demolition drive halted, NCMC says evacuation immediate priority

The demolition of structures that have developed fissures due to land subsidence at Joshimath hill town in Uttarakhand commenced on Tuesday. Locals however questioned the move when the authorities began razing the two hotels -- Mount View and Malari Inn -- after which the drive was temporarily halted. Read on for all the latest updates in this big story.

Joshimath (Uttarakhand): In wake of the looming threat in Uttarakhand's Joshimath, authorities Tuesday began the demolition of buildings damaged due to land subsidence. Teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were supposed to carry out the demolition drive. Two hotel buildings, the worst hit in land subsidence, were to be razed on priority, however, following opposition from the locals, the drive was temporarily stopped.

Here are the top 10 updates in this big story:

1. Joshimath, a spiritual town in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district has become a matter of countrywide concern, as nearly 66 families have been forced to vacate their homes. Around 678 buildings have developed cracks, of which those with major damage are likely to be demolished. The current crisis can potentially be classified as a national disaster.
2. Two hotels - Mount View and Malari Inn - which are leaning towards each other are among the structures to be razed. While the authorities started demolishing the two hotels, they faced opposition from the public and the drive has been halted for now. Ranjit Sinha, Secretary, Disaster Management told reporters that the Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee has been roped in for the demolition exercise. The devastated hotel owners said they came to know about the development through newspapers and demanded that a one-time settlement plan should have been offered to them before the decision was made.
3. "I came to know about it through newspapers this morning. There was no prior notice. If the government demarcated my hotel as unsafe, it should have first come up with a one-time settlement plan before deciding to demolish it," Thakur Singh, who owns Malari Inn, said. Mount View owner Lalmani Semwal expressed similar sentiments. "It is like slaying a child one has reared through years of hard work in front of his parent," he said.
4. Power supply lines to the hotels and surrounding areas were cut off by the administration ahead of the demolition move, disrupting electricity supply to around 500 houses in the vicinity. The locals broke down as they left their homes marked 'unsafe' by the district administration. Pradeep Kumar, director of CSIR-CBRI Roorkee told ETV Bharat that the affected buildings will be demolished in a phased manner using non-blast technology.
5. The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) on Tuesday reviewed the situation in Joshimath and stressed that the immediate priority should be to ensure the complete and safe evacuation of all residents in the affected zone. At a meeting of the NCMC, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba stressed that priority should also be accorded to the demolition of vulnerable structures in a safe
   manner, an official statement said.
6. The NCMC conveyed that all studies and investigations, including geotechnical, geophysical and hydrological, should be completed in a coordinated and time-bound manner. The chief secretary of Uttarakhand briefed the NCMC about the current situation and informed that residents of severely damaged houses were being shifted to safe places.
7. The cabinet secretary assured the chief secretary that all central agencies will continue to be available for necessary assistance. The Member Secretary of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) informed the committee that a team of experts from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Geological Survey of India (GSI), Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and National Institute of Hydrology visited the affected areas on January 6-7 to assess the situation.
8. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla apprised the committee that a high-level team of home ministry officials, led by the secretary, border management, is currently at Joshimath for an assessment of the situation. The meeting was also attended by top officials of the ministries of home affairs, power, information and broadcasting, water resources, and mines, members of the NDMA, the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, the Scientific Secretary to the Chairman of the ISRO, besides others
9. The subsidence in Joshimath is not a recent issue as it goes back several decades. In 1976, the Centre had appointed MC Mishra, the then collector of Garhwal, to look into the matter. The report submitted by the 18-member committee explained that Joshimath was situated in an old landslide zone and could sink if development continued unabated. The report recommended complete prohibition on construction activities in the area. “Joshimath is a deposit of sand and stone — it is not the main rock — hence it was not suitable for a township. Vibrations produced by blasting, heavy traffic, etc., will lead to a disequilibrium in natural factors…” the 1976 report had stated.
10. The expert committee formed by CM Dhami has suggested that the houses with major damage be demolished immediately, and the broken debris removed from the spot as soon as possible. The committee has also suggested that all those places which are no longer safe should be identified and people should be evacuated from them. It has also called for a hydrological and geographical investigation, and earthquake monitoring of the upper part of Joshimath. The committee has suggested real-time monitoring of land subsidence and retrofitting of houses with cracks. The committee also says that the foundation of the area will have to be studied for retrofitting.
11. Like Joshimath, Tehri Lake area is also witnessing a similar situation as cracks have appeared in people's houses. Locals say they have informed government officials of the same several times but no concrete step has been taken so far. Meanwhile, given the situation in Joshimath, a shadow looms over the National Winter Games scheduled in Auli from February 2. Although the circumstances are being assessed and a decision will be taken regarding the Winter Games to be held in Auli in the next 1 week.
12. PM Narendra Modi recently spoke to CM Pushkar Singh Dhami over the telephone and inquired about the steps taken for the safety and rehabilitation of the affected residents and the progress of the immediate and long-term action plans to address their concerns. In view of land subsidence in Joshimath, the Ministry of Jal Shakti set up a panel to conduct a "rapid study" on the ecological situation of the region. The panel will "examine the cause of the occurrence and its impact or key impact"
13. The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear on January 16 a plea seeking the court's intervention to declare the crisis in Uttarakhand's Joshimath as a national disaster.