Dehradun: An expert team of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has selected four places — Koti Farm, Pipalkoti, Herbal Research and Development Institute (HRDI) land and Dhak village — for rehabilitation of the subsidence-hit Joshimath residents who were evicted from their homes, according to officials. The survey on two more locations — Gauchar town and Selang village, is underway.
Koti Farm is on the revenue department land is about 12 km from Joshimath. A road to Auli also goes through Koti Farm. Pipalkoti, which is about 36 km from Joshimath, also has a vast land available for the rehabilitation. The land owned by HRDI and identified by the GSI is about 9 km from Joshimath.
As per officials, a large chunk of the land owned by the Herbs Research and Development Institute can be used to relocate the displaced people of Joshimath. Dhak village is on Malari road and is 12 km away from Joshimath. The land belongs to the Revenue Department.
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Meanwhile, survey work is going on in Gauchar, about 90 kilometers away from Joshimath for the rehabilitation of the displaced people. There is a vast area of land in Gauchar which can be used for the rehabilitation of the families in Joshimath. However, the distance from Joshimath could be a major hurdle in shifting the displaced families to Gauchar.
Another option is Selang village, which is located just 13 km from the affected areas. Although the officials are tight-lipped over the number of affected houses due to the landslides in Joshimath, sources said that the number of cracks in the houses is increasing with each passing day. On Monday, it crossed the 800 mark.
The authorities are considering at least six different places for the rehabilitation process. The survey by the GSI was to ensure that a Joshimath-like situation does not arise at these six places, said an official involved in selecting the sites for the evacuees. Ranjit Kumar Sinha, secretary of the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority, said that although the GSI is yet to submit its formal report, it has approved four locations. He said that after the approval of the central and state government, the authorities would prepare a detailed rehabilitation plan in this regard.
