Joshimath receives heavy snowfall; SDRF, police on alert, says Chamoli DM

Chamoli (Uttarakhand) [India], January 20 (ANI): Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana said that teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police are on alert if any tragedy arises due to heavy snowfall in Joshimath on Friday.

“All preparations are being done so that people living in Shivirs do not face any problems. We are ensuring that no needy is left unattended, whether it is the need for blankets or anything,” Khurana told ANI. “All teams of SDRF and police are alert if any emergency arises. We are waiting for the snowfall to stop, so that development work of filling cracks can start again,” he added.

Joshimath, which is facing land subsidence, in Uttarakhand received heavy snowfall on Friday.

Meanwhile, heavy snowfall was witnessed in Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand. Heavy snowfall was also witnessed in Ramani village in the Chamoli district.
White sheet of snow covered Gangotri Dham in Uttarakhand.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj appealed to tourists to continue to come to Uttarakhand as places like Mussorie, Gangotri, Yamnotri and Nainital are safe.

“I want to request the tourists that Mussoorie is safe, and Gangotri, Yamnotri, and Nainital are safe. Only Joshimath is unsafe. Auli is safe and we are thinking about conducting winter games in Auli,” he told to ANI added.

“I want the home minister to increase tourism at certain secluded places here. All scientists are at work to find a solution for Joshimath’s sinking. I want to thank Prime Minister and the Home Minister for helping us in these tough times. I will talk to the chief minister regarding developing a sewer line here,” the tourism minister added.
He also requested the Uttarakhand chief minister “to stop the minor blasts that are taking place in the tunnels so that cracks do not appear,”

Following the land subsidence in Joshimath town of Uttarakhand, Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana on Thursday said the authorities are seeking suggestions for suitable land for permanent relocation of affected families.

Looking at the current situation of the land subsidence in Joshimath, DM Khurana said, “We’re asking for suggestions and opinions of the affected families regarding rehabilitation. We want their suggestions so that we can carry out the rehabilitation procedures better.”

“Our intention is to take permanent displacement action according to the suggestions of those who are affected,” Khurana said.

Earlier , Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and gave him detailed information about the current situation in Joshimath.

In the nearly half-an-hour meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Dhami said he gave detailed information about the situation in Joshimath, the condition of people in the region and other points.

Due to land subsidence in the Joshimath city area, over 720 buildings have been identified that developed cracks. Residents, as a part of the rehabilitation, have been moved to safer places even as geologists and experts scramble to ascertain the reasons for subsidence in the ecologically fragile region.

Uttarakhand government has also ordered the authorities to start surveying and dismantling the infrastructures that are posing a threat to the surrounding buildings as well.

Joshimath, on the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway (NH 7), is an overnight halt for the people visiting the holy shrines at Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib and tourist destinations Auli, and the Valley of Flowers.

Along with Joshimath, the same phenomenon of land subsidence is also being reported from other areas of Uttarakhand including Uttarkashi, Tehri, Pauri and Karanprayag.

Uttarakhand government has also announced a relief package of Rs 45 crore to families in Joshimath, where large cracks appeared in homes and on roads. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has also declared a relief package for nearly 3,000 families affected by gradual land subsidence in the Himalayan state.

The Chief Minister has also announced that Rs 50,000 have been given by the state disaster authority to each family as a non-adjustable one-time special grant for the transportation of goods and immediate needs of their buildings.