Joshimath landslide: No subsidence in the entire area, there are cracks but not big, says Chamoli DM

Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana on Saturday said that there is no subsidence in the entire area of Joshimath but there is a part of the city where there are cracks which is not big.

Speaking to ANI, Khurana said, "There is no subsidence in the entire area of Joshimath, there is a part of the city where there are cracks but it is not big. There is a special place where cracks have increased."

He further said that the reasons are being ascertained by the scientists.

The District Magistrate said that there is no earthquake in the entire Joshimath, that is why we are able to resettle the people in Joshimath itself.

"The work of shifting the affected people to safer places is being done at a fast pace. At present people will be shifted by acquiring safe hotels inside Joshimath."

He said that land is being searched for a big shelter home.

"In Joshimath itself, the land of the Horticulture Department has also been searched for the construction of the shelter," he added.

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand government sanctioned funds from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for providing houses at cheaper rates to the displaced families due to the landslide in Joshimath.

As per the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, houses will be provided at the rate of Rs 4000 per month for six months.

The affected families, whose houses are not fit for habitation due to damage to their houses or those families who have become homeless are being given shelter in rented houses at safe places, under the Joshimath municipality tehsil of Chamoli district.

Earlier today, CM Dhami said that the scientists were looking into the cause of the land subsidence in the state's Joshimath and the first priority remains to ensure that people are taken to safer areas.

CM Dhami also conducted a survey of the areas in the town where houses and other establishments, roads and fields have displayed cracks due to land subsidence. He also met with displaced families who were relocated after cracks were seen in their houses.

Incidentally, huge cracks have been seen in houses, roads and fields and many houses have suffered subsidence. Cracks have been found at several places on the Joshimath-Malari border road, which connects the India-China border, due to landslides in Joshimath. A large part of the Badrinath National Highway is also in the grip of landslides.

According to the Chamoli district administration statement on Friday, out of 561 establishments, 153 in the Ravigram ward, 127 in the Gandhinagar ward, 28 in the Marwadi ward, 24 in the Lower Bazaar ward, 52 in the Singhdhar ward, 71 in the Manohar Bagh ward, 29 in the Upper Bazaar ward 27 in the Sunil ward and 50 in Parsari have reported cracks, due to which the operations of Hotel View and Malari Inn were restricted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, till further orders.

The teams from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also been deployed in the area as a precautionary measure, Chamoli Chief Development Officer (CDO) Lalit Narayan Mishra said on Friday.

( With inputs from ANI )