PremiumLand sinking in Joshimath: The panel comprises representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Central Water Commission, Geological Survey of India and National Mission for Clean Ganga.
The Central government on Friday set up a panel to conduct ‘rapid study’ of the occurrence of land subsidence and its impact in Uttarakhand's Joshimath. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has issued an office memorandum, according to the news agency PTI.
According to the memorandum, the panel comprises representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Central Water Commission, Geological Survey of India and National Mission for Clean Ganga.
These officials will conduct "rapid study and examine the cause of the occurrence and its impact or key impact" and submit a report to the NMCG within three days, it said.
In addition, the committee will also cover the effects of the sinking of land on human settlements, buildings, highways, infrastructure and riverine system, as per PTI reports.
Joshimath, situated at 6,000 feet in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand between Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib, is in seismically active Zone V - a region with a high risk of earthquakes.
Residents of Joshimath, a sacred town in Uttarakhand, have become alarmed after noticing fissures in the town's houses and roadways, which they described as the town "gradually sinking".
On January 5, the Chamoli administration stated that a total of 561 establishments in Joshimath reported fractures that appeared after soil subsidence, with the greatest —153 establishments — reporting cracks in the Ravigram ward in Uttarakhand.
Nine families in total have been forced to leave their homes in the past 24 hours. Up until now, 38 families in total have been uprooted, according to an official statement.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami will convene a high-level conference in Dehradun on January 6 with senior representatives from the government's disaster, irrigation, and home departments, as well as the Garhwal Mandal commissioner and the Chamoli district magistrate to assess the situation.
He promised to take the required steps to protect the safety of the populace in response to reports of land sinking in Joshimath and cracks appearing in many of the town's homes.
On January 4 night, a large number of people in Joshimath came to the streets with torches to draw attention to cracks appearing in buildings. Others barricaded the Badrinath roadway the following day, warning of a "chakka jam" due to the local land's vertical sinking.
(With PTI inputs)