PMO steps in to tackle Joshimath crisis

At a high-level meeting to review building damage and land subsidence in Uttarakhand's Joshimath, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Sunday ordered an "inter-disciplinary investigation of the affected area".

PK Mishra, the principal secretary to the PM, chaired the meeting, which suggested preparing "a clear time-bound reconstruction plan" and continuous seismic monitoring of the area. The meeting concluded that Joshimath's risk-sensitive urban development plan should also be developed.

The PMO's meeting came amid mounting criticism by locals in Joshimath, known as the gateway to Badrinath, Hemkund Sahib and skiing destination Auli, over the last few days.

Locals took out marches and posted their concerns on social media about the state government's delay in responding when they flagged subsidence. At the PMO meeting in the national capital, Mishra stressed that the immediate priority for the state should be the safety of the people living in the affected area.

At the meeting, which Uttarakhand's top bureaucrats, including its chief secretary, attended, the PM's principal secretary said the state government should establish a clear and continuous communication channel with the affected people.

"Immediate efforts should be made to arrest the deterioration in the situation through practical measures that may be feasible," he said.

The Uttarakhand government declared Joshimath a landslide-subsidence zone and over 60 families living in damaged houses have been evacuated to temporary relief centres, a senior official said on Sunday. At least 90 more families have to be evacuated.

The PMO meeting noted that experts from a range of central institutions should work closely with Uttarakhand in the spirit of the "whole of government" approach.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Geological Survey of India (GSI), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) and Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) will study and give recommendations.

These agencies and experts are assisting the state government in preparing short, medium and long-term plans. A team of the NDRF and four SDRF teams have already reached Joshimath. The secretary of Border Management and members of the NDMA will visit Uttarakhand on Monday to assess the situation.

According to officials, the participants in the meeting were "informed that the PM is concerned and has reviewed the situation with the Uttarakhand CM."

Officials said that Uttarakhand chief secretary Sukhbir Singh Sandhu told the meeting that a strip of land with a width of around 350 metres is affected. Sandhu visited the subsidence-hit areas of Joshimath on Sunday, while CM Pushkar Singh Dhami toured it on Saturday.

Garhwal Commissioner Sushil Kumar told PTI that of the total 4,500 buildings in Joshimath, 610 had developed huge cracks, making them unfit for habitation.