Joshimath Land Subsidence: Displaced Battling With Mental Health Issues And Trauma, Say Experts

According to studies, severe natural disasters such as landslides, earthquakes, and floods can cause a variety of mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety disorders, and PTSD.

Cracks developed in a house in Joshimath

Source : PTI

Hundreds of people who have been displaced by land subsidence in Joshimath and forced into relief camps are battling a range of mental health issues such as Insomnia, anxiety, and depression, say residents and experts. The other people who at present are safely in their houses are wondering 'when' and not 'if' they too will be moved to government-run shelters or just leave the town, reported news agency PTI.

Dr Jyotsana Naithwal, a psychiatrist from AIIMS Rishikesh deployed at the community health centre (CHC) in Joshimath while talking to PTI said, “The land subsidence event last month has had an impact on everyone. The major symptoms among affected people are insomnia and anxiety."

She along with two more trained psychiatrists and one clinical psychologist have been deployed in the town to help over 20,000 people battle mental trauma.

According to studies, severe natural disasters such as landslides, earthquakes, and floods can cause a variety of mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

According to experts, effective screening and education programmes for survivors need to be improved in order to prevent and treat psychiatric morbidity among landslide survivors.

Fewer individuals are coming out to disclose their difficulties, claims Atul Sati, convenor of the Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (JBSS), because mental health is still a taboo subject. He said, "We had been warning that an epidemic of mental health is on its way. Many people our volunteers have been in touch with are facing trauma and mental issues."

Being forced to part from their damaged homes and the fear that they may never be able to return to their childhood homes is leading to a spectrum of problems.

On February 3, barely one month after Neha and her extended family of 14 moved into a hotel, her father received a distressing phone call informing him that their home had been demolished. She said, "All of us rushed to the spot and found it still intact. But the call only compounded the already anxious lives that we have been living ever since our house started developing cracks almost a year ago."

Business in the town being shut down has added to the extreme anxiety about the uncertainty of tomorrow.

In Manohar Van, Suraj Kapruwan had a washing business that sustained significant damage as a result of the subsidence event on January 2. He claimed he hasn't slept through the night since. The 38-year-old hotel management graduate said, “I am depressed and hardly get any sleep at night. I keep thinking about my business on which I spent lakhs. There is no compensation still in sight. I don’t know how to cope with the situation."

Dr Naithwal added that gauging the burden of mental illness is difficult as people don't report symptoms to medical practitioners unlike other health disorders and symptoms can surface anytime up to a year. She said, "We have been doing rounds of the affected areas. If someone exhibits symptoms, a counsellor helps them to cope through relaxation techniques and deep breathing exercises. If somebody has chronic symptoms then they are treated accordingly."

Relief Camps

Authorities estimate that 878 people from 243 households impacted by the disaster are being housed in relief camps. DM Chamoli's tweeted, "Basic facilities like food, drinking water, medicine etc. are being made available to the affected people in the relief camps."

In another tweet on Thursday, DM said, "In Joshimath, an amount of Rs 505.80 lakh has been distributed so far for damaged buildings, special rehabilitation package, one-time special grant for transportation of goods and immediate needs and purchase of household materials as advance relief to the affected families."

However, Sati alleged there are major discrepancies in the damages and compensation official survey. He said, "Many people who deserved compensation didn't receive it while others who were not affected got it instead."

A government-appointed Mishra committee in 1976 warned "Joshimath is not suitable for a township" and that heavy construction in this area shouldn't be done but,  the warning was not heeded. Over time this place has exploded into a busy gateway for thousands of tourists and pilgrims.

(With inputs from PTI)