Keep close watch on Joshimath situation during rain, CM Dhami tells officials
Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami said instructions have been given to the departments of agriculture and disaster management for assessment of crop damages due to rain
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday evening instructed officials concerned to keep a close eye on the Joshimath situation during rains amid apprehensions that weather can aggravate the land subsidence problem in the holy town. He said the officials should remain on alert 24x7 since most disasters take place during the rainy season.

“In last few years, the state has faced disasters in every season which needs a special plan to tackle. Early warning and awareness can mitigate the risk produced by disasters,” Dhami said during a meeting with officials at the disaster management centre at the state secretariat in Dehradun. He instructed secretary, disaster management Ranjit Kumar Sinha to ensure coordination with all district magistrates and provide assistance to them as per their requirement.
The chief minister said instructions have been given to the agriculture department and disaster management department for assessment of crop damages due to rain. He said farmers should be compensated for their damaged crops.
He ordered officials to expedite the repair work of roads before the Char Dham Yatra, scheduled to begin on April 22.
Locals and experts alike have raised concerns over aggravation in land subsidence in Joshimath town fearing rain water could percolate deep into the fissures and cracked houses.
Uttarakhand usually witnesses high average annual rainfall of 1,162.7 mm with Chamoli reporting 1,230.8 mm annual rainfall.
During last year’s monsoon, when the state received 1,128 mm rainfall (June -September), Chamoli was one of the two districts among the state’s 13 districts which received the highest rainfall. Chamoli received 1196.4 mm of rainfall.
Rain normally arrives in the state in late April and continues till September, with the intensity increasing during the months of June to September.
In February, Dhami while chairing a review meeting on Char Dham Yatra preparations announced that a disaster management control room will be set up in the holy town for the smooth conduct of the Badrinath yatra.
He also said that a team from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will camp in Joshimath town during the yatra in view of land subsidence affecting the Badrinath highway.
All arrangements should be made on time so that pilgrims don’t not face any health related issue during the yatra, the CM said, adding that he also spoke to Union health minister Mansukh Mandviya, who assured him of necessary assistance in this regard.
He said that in view of the record-breaking pilgrims expected during this year’s yatra, the state government had begun the preparations in December-January.
Dhami said, “I have chaired four review meetings so far in this regard. All necessary arrangements are being made for a safe and smooth Char Dham Yatra.”
Char Dham Yatra will start with the opening of the portals of Yamunotri and Gangotri Dhams on April 22. The portals of Badrinath Dham will be opened on April 27 and those of Kedarnath Dham on April 25.
Himalayan pilgrimage sites of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath are collectively called Char Dham. They are located in Garhwal Himalayas and are among the most revered pilgrimages in the Hindu tradition. The shrines attract tens of thousands of pilgrims annually.
