The state government will demolish the most damaged buildings in the next few days.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today said only a quarter of the houses in Uttarakhand’s ‘sinking city’ Joshimath have cracks.
He also said that Rs 1.5 lakh will be given as immediate relief to the most affected families by this evening.
More than 700 houses and hotels are being submerged in Joshimath, a town of about 20,000 people, and many people have fled their homes in the past few days.
The chief minister said only 25 percent of buildings in the town had cracks and appealed to people not to panic, especially as the region prepares to receive pilgrims in a few weeks.
Dhami told NDTV, “The Badrinath Yatra is about to begin. But efforts are being made to create an impression that the entire city is sinking and there is a huge crisis in Uttarakhand.”
“It is not so. One should not spread this kind of thing which creates panic and affects the people of Uttarakhand. We often face crises in this state but we fight them and overcome them. I prayed to God to help me overcome this crisis.” as well.”
Mr. Dhami also said that his government plans to survey other towns like Joshimath to check for cracks and land subsidence. Dhami said, “We are studying other cities to see how much weight they can take. Accordingly, we will take steps.”
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that Rs 1.5 lakh would be given as compensation to the families by this evening.
Joshimath, the temple town that is the gateway to popular pilgrimage sites like Badrinath, is facing a crisis with cracks emerging in buildings and roads after years of unplanned infrastructure construction.
Thousands of residents are being evacuated to safety. The state government will demolish the most damaged buildings in the next few days.
The city also hosts a major Indian Army base and a strategic road to the disputed border with China, in which extensive fissures have also developed.
The region is vulnerable to earthquakes and in recent years the disaster has been blamed on melting glaciers and incessant construction and drilling in the mountains. In 2021, at least 200 people were killed in flash floods in Joshimath and surrounding areas, partly blamed on excessive development.