Joshimath Sinking Live Updates: Cracks observed on 603 buildings, 68 families relocated

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.