Guwahati: Joshimath area in Uttarakhand has been declared as disaster-prone due to the growing soil subsidence and fissures discovered. This was informed by Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana on Monday.
Khurana said, “The Joshimath area has been declared disaster-prone. Two teams from the central government, including a team from the Jal Shakti ministry, are arriving here. Construction activities have been banned in Joshimath and nearby areas. Dry ration kits are being distributed to the affected people.”
Basic amenities in the camps set up for those affected by the disaster were continuously assessed.
The DM further added that if necessary the government will conduct a rapid inspection.
According to the Chamoli District Disaster Management Authority, as many as 693 buildings in Joshimath town have already developed cracks, and at least 68 households have been “temporarily relocated.”
The disaster management authority in a statement said, “Under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, Hotel Mount View and Malari Inn have been banned for operation and accommodation, until further orders.”
On the other hand, 229 rooms with a capacity of 1271 were temporarily designated as habitable.
Although the origin of the apparent subsidence in the holy town is unknown, DM Banerjee, an emeritus scientist at the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), blamed the current state of affairs on the building of roads and tunnels for a nearby hydroelectric project.
He was quoted by ANI saying, “Joshimath is a part of the lesser Himalayas, the rocks are from the Precambrian era and the territory is of seismic zone 4. Apart from this, people should not have made houses on this land, especially not big ones with 3-4 storeys.”