The holy town of Joshimath has plunged into a full-blown crisis after houses and roads developed cracks due to land subsidence. So far 678 houses have developed cracks and 81 families have been temporarily moved to safer locations. The town has been declared a landslide and subsidence-hit zone. The Centre has stressed on the safety of the people and has asked experts to prepare short- and long-term plans for conservation and rehabilitation.
Manohar Bagh, Singdhar and Marwari areas are some of the worst-hit areas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami and reviewed the situation, including all the steps taken for the safety and rehabilitation of the residents. PM Modi also assured the Chief Minister of all necessary assistance.
(The author is a freelance journalist and researcher based out of Uttarakhand, covering issues around policy, politics and the environment. She’s currently a research associate with Norway’s Oslo Metropolitan University’s Riverine Rights project in India, and a graduate in Water Science, Policy and Management from the University of Oxford)