Joshimath sinking: SDRF carries out rescue operation on a war footing

According to the experts, there are several factors contributing to the ‘sinking’ of Joshimath, including its location in an area prone to landslides, extreme weather events, and geological factors.

The state disaster response force (SDRF) paced up relief and rescue efforts to evacuate the residents of Joshimath who are witnessing scenes of panic amid a growing threat from land subsidence in different areas.

People vacating their unsafe houses and loading their belongings in commercial vehicles to take shelter in relief camps (HT Photo)

On Monday, commercial vehicles loaded with belongings from evacuated houses were seen throughout the town. From residential buildings to temples to commercial establishments, all types of structures were affected by land subsidence, which began to appear almost a week ago, resulting in cracks on land and houses that are growing wider with each passing day.

According to the experts, there are several factors contributing to the ‘sinking’ of Joshimath, including its location in an area prone to landslides, extreme weather events, and geological factors.

Eight units are deployed in the town to deal with the tragedy, said SDRF commandant Manikant Mishra. Meanwhile, a survey is being conducted by the professionals in all nine wards of the town to assess the damage and accordingly declare them unsafe, Chamoli district administration said.

On the directions of the state government, Himanshu Khurana, district magistrate (DM), Chamoli district on Sunday appointed ‘sector officials’ in all nine wards (one in each) of the Joshimath who will ensure survey, demarcation, shifting of affected families to alternative locations, shelter houses, making all required arrangements and other rescue and relief work.

Ruhi Devi, a resident of Singh Dhar ward, is weeping to look at the belongings of her house, which was declared unsafe to live in after it developed cracks, being loaded in a canter truck.

She said, “I didn’t ever think a day like this would ever come that we had to leave our house in which we lived for years. I don’t know what to leave behind. They (the authorities) are taking us to a relief camp. I don’t know for long we will be kept there.”

With cracks widening due to land subsidence, the district administration has issued a notice to the residents to vacate their houses declaring it “unsafe to stay in.”

Sudarshan Singh Rawat, executive engineer of the public works department, Karnprayag, who was appointed as the sector official of Singh Dhar ward, said, “We have been surveying to know the damages done in. For the past few days, we are shifting families to alternative shelters arranged by the administration.”

“We have shifted over 30 families from the Singh Dhar ward to safer places. Once other houses are declared unfit for living based on assessment, they will be shifted too,” he added.

Rawat said, “Sometimes, we have to convince people to shift who are not ready to leave their homes, saying they have spent their hard-earned money on it and lived there for years. We have to convince them by saying that saving lives should be the priority and the government would arrange everything for them.”

On Sunday, the Uttarakhand government declared Joshimath’s all nine municipal wards as “landslide-subsidence zone” under the Disaster Management Act and began the evacuation of residents from these areas. More than 600 houses in the holy town have developed cracks so far and 68 families have been ‘temporarily’ displaced.

Harish, another resident of the Singh Dhar ward, said, “The administration has drawn a big X symbol with red paint on our house. They say it’s unsafe to live now. We have been packing our belongings to shift to a hotel where our family will be put up. I spent my everything on building this house. Just tell me who is responsible for its destruction.”

Sarita Uniyal, a resident of Manohar Bagh, said, “Until yesterday, I thought we wouldn’t be asked to leave our house. But…..now we have also been told to vacate the house and take shelter in government relief camps since cracks that have appeared in our house are getting wider with each passing day.”

The secretaries of border management in the union home affairs ministry and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will visit ‘sinking zone’ Joshimath, Uttarakhand on Monday.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) held a high-level review meeting on the ‘sinking’ Joshimath crisis and assured all possible help, according to Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

The PMO office further directed the concerned officers from the NDMA, the National Institute of Disaster Management, the Geological Survey of India, the IIT Roorkee, the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, the National Institute of Hydrology, and the Central Building Research Institute to study the case and give their recommendations on the matter at the earliest.