Amid the prevailing situation in Joshimath, Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana said that all dangerous buildings in Joshimath have been marked with a red ‘X’ symbol and the residents have also been shifted to a safer place. Joshimath has been declared a ‘sinking zone’ in the wake of continuing land subsidence, with several homes and roads developing cracks over the last few days, driving residents outdoors and triggering fear.
Joshimath is a gateway to several Himalayan expeditions and pilgrim sites like Kedarnath and Badrinath. More than 600 houses have developed cracks in the area. The Centre has constituted an experts' team to study and submit its recommendations after a high-level meeting on Joshimath.
The experts from the National Institute of Disaster Management, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Institute of Hydrology and Central Building Research Institute, Geological Survey of India, IIT Roorkee, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, have been tasked with assessing the situation and giving recommendations on preserving the holy town.
Why is Joshimath sinking?
Geological factors apart, the failure of successive governments to act on the warnings by experts about possible hazards in Joshimath and adjoining areas has emerged as a major reason behind the land subsidence crisis that has now gripped the town, environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt said on Monday.
"Failure of successive governments to act on expert warnings seems to be at the root of the Joshimath crisis," he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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