PMO to hold high-level meeting on Joshimath crisis, Uttarakhand govt calls for satellite study of town

The Uttarakhand government has requested for a study of Joshimath to be conducted through satellite images and a detailed report with photographs.

New Delhi: The Prime Minister's Office in India will hold a high-level review meeting on Sunday (January 8) to address the ongoing crisis in Joshimath, a town in the Uttarakhand region experiencing sinking land and cracks in houses. The meeting, which will be led by Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr. P K Mishra, will include the Cabinet Secretary and other senior officials from the central government, as well as members of the National Disaster Management Authority. District officials from Joshimath will also be present at the meeting via video conference, along with senior officers from Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand govt requests for study through satellite images

The Uttarakhand government has requested the National Remote Sensing Centre and the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing to conduct a study of Joshimath through satellite images and provide a detailed report with photographs. The Geological Survey of India has been asked to examine the suitability of certain areas in Joshimath and Pipalkoti's Semaldala region for rehabilitation purposes. In addition, several institutes, including the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology and the National Institute of Hydrology Roorkee, have conducted surveys and studies of Joshimath and will soon submit their reports to the government.

CM Pushkar Dhami assesses on-ground situation in Joshimath

Uttrakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited Joshimath on Saturday (January 7) to assess the situation on the ground and ordered the immediate evacuation of around 600 affected families. Dhami emphasized the importance of Joshimath from a cultural, religious, and tourism perspective and stated that all efforts will be made to save it. He has also expedited relief operations and established a high-powered committee to approve only disaster management-related work in Joshimath in order to speed up relief and rescue efforts.

Panic grips residents as hill town 'sinks'

In addition to these measures, Dhami has approved additional funding for the District Magistrate Chamoli and instructed officials to form coordination committees at the state and local levels to monitor development and relief efforts. Secretary to the Chief Minister R Meenakshi Sundaram and Commissioner of the Garhwal Division Sushil Kumar will camp in Joshimath starting Sunday, and Additional Chief Secretary Radha Raturi will head the state-level coordination committee, while Commissioner Sushil Kumar will head the local committee.

Joshimath, the gateway to famous pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib and international skiing destination Auli, is facing a major challenge due to land subsidence. Geological factors are playing a significant role in Joshimath's subsidence, as per a study by Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) from August 2022. Extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall and floods have also contributed to this geological condition.

(With agency inputs)