Joshimath is sinking: Officials from Centre meet Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami to assess situation

Joshimath Crisis Update: Around 4,000 people have been shifted to safer areas. A report is being prepared by an expert committee and will be submitted to the Prime Minister's Office soon.

Joshimath Sinking Update: Officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Disaster Management Authority met Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to assess the situation in Joshimath and underlined the need for ascertaining the location of underground water accumulation in the subsidence zone. Water accumulation under the ground in the affected area is considered to be in Joshimath but the source of the water is yet to be ascertained. The central team of officials also said a geological survey of the areas identified for the evacuation of the affected people should be carried out.

Meanwhile, cracks were seen in 68 more houses in Joshimath. While there is an atmosphere of fear among the people regarding this, the administration has become alert. Uttarakhand Chief Secretary SS Sandhu said that every minute is important. Sandhu has asked the officials to speed up the work of evacuating people from their homes so that they remain safe. The administration has started making announcements in the area and appealed to people to stay away from the buildings being demolished. However, many residents remain reluctant to leave their homes that have been declared unsafe due to land subsidence in Joshimath. 

The district administration had put red cross marks on more than 200 houses in the sinking town that are unsafe for living. It asked their occupants to either shift to the temporary relief centres or rent accommodation for which each family will get assistance of Rs 4000 per month for the next six months from the state government.

Cracks appeared in 68 more houses, taking the number of subsidence affected homes to 678, while 27 more families were evacuated to safety, a bulletin from the Disaster Management Authority said.