Joshimath Sinking: U'khand CM Dhami Says Looking For Location If People Need To Be Moved

Joshimath Sinking: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami said geoscientists are working to find out the causes behind the occurrence while the government is focusing on taking people to safer areas

New Delhi: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday said the state government is contemplating if people need to be migrated and rehabilitated from Joshimath, a location for the same is to be chosen. The statement came as he conducted a ground inspection in the town and met the affected families, following an aerial survey.

"Our effort is to make everyone safe. Preparations were made for necessary arrangements. Our first task is to take people to safer areas. Geoscientists are working. There's Guwahati institute, IIT Roorkee, also in talks with ISRO. Everyone finding out causes," CM Dhami told news agency ANI.

He further informed, "We are also contemplating if people need to be migrated from here and rehabilitated. We are also finding out a location for this. As of now, this is the winter season. So, we are looking into the issues that need to be addressed immediately."

This comes as a key Joshimath-Malari border road, connecting the India-China border, developed cracks at several places due to landslides in Joshimath, news agency ANI reported. Strategically important Joshimath-Malari border road is subsiding near the Malari taxi stand.

Previously, the Uttarakhand Chief Minister ordered an immediate evacuation of around 600 families living in houses that have developed huge cracks and are at risk in Joshimath town which is sinking.

"Saving lives is our first priority. Officials have been asked to shift around 600 families living in endangered houses in Joshimath to safe locations," Dhami said on Friday after reviewing the situation in the sinking town with officials via video conference, as quoted by news agency PTI.

"We are also working on short and long-term plans to address the situation in Joshimath," he said.

Garhwal Commissioner Sushil Kumar and secretary, disaster management, Ranjit Kumar Sinha along with a team of experts are camping on the ground to constantly monitor the situation, informed CM Pushkar Dhami on Friday.

Located at an altitude of 6,000 feet in Chamoli district, the town of Joshimath, which is situated on the route to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib, falls in high-risk seismic 'Zone-V'.

(With Agency Inputs)