Joshimath: Centre And State Begin Relief And Rescue Efforts As Hill Station Continues To Sink

Joshimath, 9th January 2023: Due to soil subsidence, roads and homes in Joshimath, a vital hub for travellers heading to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib, developed cracks, which on Friday caused alarm and demonstrations among the local populace. After Joshimath was deemed a landslide and subsidence-hit zone, relief and rescue efforts increased.

The Centre stressed on Sunday that the safety of people is the top priority and that experts should create short- and long-term plans for conservation and rehabilitation. Assuring him of the required support, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to evaluate the situation and the actions already done for the inhabitants’ safety and recovery. Pushkar Dhami reaffirmed that the disaster management team had been informed and that preparations were being done to ensure the safety of the locals.

According to The Mint, this subsidence has affected more than 3,000 people from more than 600 homes in the city region. Residents of Joshimath Town in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district have begun leaving their homes in search of safer places after instances of local land collapse. Due to this land subsidence, also known as the vertical sinking of land in a region, huge fissures have emerged in the local homes.

In the extreme winter, families have been forced out of their houses due to the fissures.

Experts claim that the Tapovan Vishnugad Hydro Power Project by National Thermal Power Corporation has continued to be the key factor for Joshimath’s current predicament. The Mint noted that according to environmental experts, haphazard infrastructure expansion without a strategy is increasing the vulnerability of the delicate Himalayan ecology to the effects of climate change, which serves as a force multiplier.

The Centre, State, forces, and medical institutes continue their evacuation, rehabilitation, and safety measures to ensure the safety of the citizens.