Joshimath Sinking Live Updates: Tapovan Vishnugad hydel project's tunnel not responsible for landslide, says NTPC

In view of the land subsidence in Joshimath, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary SS Sandhu instructed the officials to vacate the affected area without any delay and make proper arrangements for the people at the place where they are being shifted.

State-owned power producer NTPC has said the tunnel of its Tapovan Vishnugad hydel project has nothing to do with the landslide happening in Joshimath. NTPC's statement comes against the backdrop of Joshimath being declared as a landslide and subsidence-hit zone.

The latest casualty in Uttarakhand's Joshimath town, which is witnessing extreme land subsidence, is a temple in the Shankaracharya Math, established by Adi Jagatguru Shankaracharya, which had developed cracks and has sunk about six inches.

As many residents remain reluctant to leave their homes that have been declared unsafe due to land subsidence in Joshimath, Uttarakhand chief secretary SS Sandhu on Monday stressed that every minute is important and directed immediate evacuation of people from the affected zone.

A team from Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) on Monday reached the 'sinking zone' Joshimath to analyse the damages caused to buildings for compensation. The team will be submitting its review report to the state government by today itself.

Amid the land subsidence crisis that has gripped Joshimath, IIT-Ropar in Punjab on Monday claimed that its researchers had in 2021 predicted a large-scale surface displacement in the Uttarakhand town in a span of two years.

The Congress on Monday demanded that Joshimath case be declared as national calamity and appropriate compensation should be given to the affected residents from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.

Geological factors apart, the failure of successive governments to act on the warnings by experts about possible hazards in Joshimath and adjoining areas has emerged as a major reason behind the land subsidence crisis that has now grips the town, environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt said on Monday.

The Supreme Court has asked a petitioner, who has sought the court's intervention to declare the crisis in Uttarakhand's Joshimath as a national disaster, to mention his plea Tuesday for urgent listing. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha on Monday asked advocate Parmeshwar Nath Mishra, appearing for Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, who mentioned out of turn for urgent listing of the plea, to follow the process and again mention on Tuesday.

As the land subsidence and cracks in houses increase in Joshimath, the Uttarakhand government ramps up continuous health checkups for those affected in the Joshimath subsidence, informed officials on Monday. Apart from the relief camps and dry ration kits, medical teams are also conducting door-to-door health check-ups of the people and providing them with necessary medicines and medical facilities. Chamoli district magistrate Himanshu Khurana on Monday said the Joshimath area of Uttarakhand has been declared disaster-prone, with increasing land subsidence and cracks detected.

• Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured the state of all the possible help in the wake of the land subsidence in the holy town of Joshimath.
• The CM said that Prime Minister Modi was seized of the situation in Joshimath and taking regular updates.
• After nine wards or municipal areas of the Joshimath were declared as a 'sinking zone', CM Dhami said he had called for a collective effort at this hour of crisis.

With winter at its peak, tragedy couldn’t have come at a worse time for the residents of this picturesque town, situated at an elevation of over 6,000 feet and regarded as the gateway to Badrinath, Auli and Valley of Flowers. READ MORE

• Chamoli district magistrate Himanshu Khurana on Monday said the Joshimath area of Uttarakhand has been declared disaster-prone, with the increasing land subsidence and cracks detected.
• He said two central teams, including one from the Union Jal Shakti ministry, will arrive in the holy town shortly.
• "The Joshimath area has been declared disaster-prone. Two teams from the central government, including a team from the Jal Shakti ministry, are arriving here. Construction activities have been banned in Joshimath and nearby areas. Dry ration kits are being distributed to the affected people," the Chamoli DM said.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) are in regular touch with local authorities in Joshimath, monitoring the situation and relocating affected families to safety. READ MORE

Joshimath in the Garhwal Himalayas is settled on approximately 500-metre debris of past landslides, a major reason for its low soil-bearing capacity and possibly a factor behind the "sinking" of the town, in addition to the pressure of population and tourism, preliminary reports of experts and the central team that has reached the crisis zone suggest. READ MORE

The situation in Joshimath remains grim as the Shankaracharya mutt in Joshimath, has also developed cracks in many places over the past 15 days, triggering a scare. READ MORE

Basic facilities in the relief camps set up for the affected people in Joshimath being inspected by the administration & all possible help is given to the people.

The state of emergency that the "sinking town" of Joshimath is in today didn't happen overnight. It took decades of reckless construction and blatant violation of scientific recommendations, which research teams had kept on highlighting. READ MORE

PM Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday morning. Dhami informed the PM about the situation in Joshimath as well as plans for rehabilitation and arrangements being made in light of several houses developing cracks amid fears that the town is ‘sinking’. READ MORE

With winter at its peak, tragedy couldn’t have come at a worse time for the residents of this picturesque town, situated at an elevation of over 6,000 feet and regarded as the gateway to Badrinath, Auli and Valley of Flowers. With temperatures hovering almost near the zero mark, people here are forced to battle fears about their future in the biting cold as their homes -- and lives -- crumble in front of their eyes. READ MORE

• A high-level meeting held here on Sunday to review the crisis in Joshimath was chaired by the prime minister’s principal secretary P K Mishra, who asked the authorities to immediately shift affected people to safer locations and take measures to arrest the deteriorating situation where people are leaving in constant fear in a sinking town.
• He also stressed that the Uttarakhand government should establish a clear and continuous communication channel with the residents.
• The high-level meeting, which reviewed building damages and land subsidence in Joshimath, was attended by the cabinet secretary, home secretary, members of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), chief secretary and DGP of Uttarakhand, district magistrate and other officials of Joshimath.
• Mishra also discussed the situation with experts from IIT-Roorkee, National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) who participated in the review meeting through video-conferencing.

With the land subsidence continuing at Joshimath town of Uttarakhand, the district administration on Sunday distributed necessary assistance funds for essential household items to the affected families. According to the report, a total of 603 buildings have developed cracks and 68 families have been relocated.