Tag: Joshimath

  • Building collapses at Helang near Joshimath; Three rescued, some feared trapped

    By PTI

    GOPESHWAR: Three people were rescued and a few others are feared trapped under debris after a building collapsed on Tuesday at Helang near subsidence-hit Joshimath in Chamoli district, officials said.

    Additional Information Officer of the district Ravindra Negi said those rescued were rushed to a hospital while State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel were trying to safely bring out the others trapped in the building.

    Reportedly four people are feared trapped inside the building but it is yet to be confirmed by officials.

    The incident occurred in Helang village on the Badrinath highway between Pipalkoti and Joshimath late Tuesday evening.

    According to information received, the two-storey house was built near a crusher unit on the banks of the Alaknanda River.

    People working in the crusher unit were living in the building which collapsed.

    Earlier this year, several houses in Joshimath were damaged due to land subsidence and since the onset of the monsoon, the problem has aggravated.

    GOPESHWAR: Three people were rescued and a few others are feared trapped under debris after a building collapsed on Tuesday at Helang near subsidence-hit Joshimath in Chamoli district, officials said.

    Additional Information Officer of the district Ravindra Negi said those rescued were rushed to a hospital while State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel were trying to safely bring out the others trapped in the building.

    Reportedly four people are feared trapped inside the building but it is yet to be confirmed by officials.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The incident occurred in Helang village on the Badrinath highway between Pipalkoti and Joshimath late Tuesday evening.

    According to information received, the two-storey house was built near a crusher unit on the banks of the Alaknanda River.

    People working in the crusher unit were living in the building which collapsed.

    Earlier this year, several houses in Joshimath were damaged due to land subsidence and since the onset of the monsoon, the problem has aggravated.

  • Fresh cracks in Joshimath as old ones widen after land sinking

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: Joshimath’s land sinking continues unabated. Worse, the old cracks have only widened and new ones have developed at the same places. In the latest cases, the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), which is monitoring the situation, has found that the gaps in old cracks have increased again. Based on the information received by CBRI, there have been cases of new cracks and widening of old cracks.

    Speaking to TNIE, SDM Joshimath Kumkum Joshi confirmed that the cracks had become slightly wider. “The new cracks are at the same places where cases of land submergence were reported earlier. These include the disaster-hit areas of Gandhinagar, Singhdhar and Marwari, where the land rapidly submerged earlier this year.”

    “After inspection, the CBRI team reported minor cracks around the old ones, which had developed in the previous incident of land submergence earlier this year. The newly affected houses were earlier considered under the ‘green zone’ by the CBRI, which means that the subsidence-affected houses are safe as per as the norms of an expert committee,” said the SDM.

    Residents of the affected houses said the recent rains made the situation worse. The residents have sought the intervention of the district administration, citing constant fear in the broken buildings. “Many residential and commercial buildings in Joshimath developed cracks due to land being submerged, resulting in a large number of people being shifted to safer buildings,” SDM Kumkum Joshi said. “Commercial buildings that developed cracks also had to be demolished.” The State Disaster Management Authority said that 863 buildings had developed cracks.

    Based on the report submitted by an expert committee headed by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the state government sought a relief package of Rs 2,943 crore from the Centre, on which the Central government is yet to decide.

    DEHRADUN: Joshimath’s land sinking continues unabated. Worse, the old cracks have only widened and new ones have developed at the same places. In the latest cases, the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), which is monitoring the situation, has found that the gaps in old cracks have increased again. Based on the information received by CBRI, there have been cases of new cracks and widening of old cracks.

    Speaking to TNIE, SDM Joshimath Kumkum Joshi confirmed that the cracks had become slightly wider. “The new cracks are at the same places where cases of land submergence were reported earlier. These include the disaster-hit areas of Gandhinagar, Singhdhar and Marwari, where the land rapidly submerged earlier this year.”

    “After inspection, the CBRI team reported minor cracks around the old ones, which had developed in the previous incident of land submergence earlier this year. The newly affected houses were earlier considered under the ‘green zone’ by the CBRI, which means that the subsidence-affected houses are safe as per as the norms of an expert committee,” said the SDM.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Residents of the affected houses said the recent rains made the situation worse. The residents have sought the intervention of the district administration, citing constant fear in the broken buildings. “Many residential and commercial buildings in Joshimath developed cracks due to land being submerged, resulting in a large number of people being shifted to safer buildings,” SDM Kumkum Joshi said. “Commercial buildings that developed cracks also had to be demolished.” The State Disaster Management Authority said that 863 buildings had developed cracks.

    Based on the report submitted by an expert committee headed by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the state government sought a relief package of Rs 2,943 crore from the Centre, on which the Central government is yet to decide.

  • Earthquake is the heart attack of Earth: NCS director

    Express News Service

    It is hard to forecast earthquakes with the current state of knowledge. Research is going on to predict the place, time and intensity of earthquakes. 

    Dr OP Mishra, Director, National Centre for Seismology, in a conversation with Jitendra Choubey, says we need sound technological solutions to address our development planning — no need to create a phobia against development.

    Why Himalayan region has been experiencing frequent earthquakes? Tectonic configuration of the Himalayas in a way that each Indian plate collides with the Eurasian plates. Around 50 million years ago, during the formation process of Himalayan ranges, Indian plates were subducted beneath the Eurasian plates. The dynamics of plates are in such a way that the Indian plate tries to move on further, while the Eurasian plate resists its movement. These frictional motions – resistive and forward – cause a collision of tectonics plate or collisional subduction in the Himalayan region. It makes rocks subject to too much strain and energy accumulation. Finally, it reaches a point when the rock’s searing and bearing capacity is superseded by stress, resulting in rock ruptures and ultimate earthquakes happening everywhere in the Himalayan region. It makes this region quite dynamic. The measurement of the earthquake is in ‘magnitude’, which shows the total content of energy gets released. I see it as very similar to human anatomy that an earthquake is nothing but a heart attack of Earth.

    How many seismogenic faults exist in the Himalayas?An earthquake generates faults, and faults generate the earthquake. There are lots of partitioning of the seismogenic faults which give relative motion to the blocks. There are some regional faults, the main central thrust (MCT) fault which pushes further north. Indo-Gangetic plain is partitioned by Himalayan frontal thrust(HFT). So HFT is the boundary between the Gangetic alluvial and Shivalik.Further north is another partition called Main Boundary Thrust (MBT). It is a boundary between Shivalik in the south and Sub-Himalayas and the lesser Himalayas in the North. Then there is the boundary of the main central thrust (MCT), which separates Greater Himalaya and Lesser Himalaya. Besides, there are many minor faults like Brahmaputra, Taapsee, Kangra, and Dhubri faults in Assam. However, some faults are already mapped while some faults are yet to be mapped, i.e. hidden faults. 

    Are we getting nearer to the forecast earthquake? It is impossible to predict any earthquake with the present state of knowledge. Furthermore, the prediction has four stages – Anticipation, Expectation (increasing certainty), Justification, and Authentication regarding location, time and size.

    We crossed all three forecast stages and demarcated the globe into different seismogenic zones. Based on it, today we can answer that there is a high possibility of an earthquake in the Himalayas. However, we can’t answer where, when, and at what depth and size. Globally, the study is going on to decipher the fourth stage.  

    Is there any need for some basic technology? In studying seismology, there is a huge difference between laboratory experiments and the real action of the Earth. For instance, if we take a particular rock and apply measurable pressure and temperature to test its searing and bearing capacity. But in reality, it behaves differently at different sub-surface levels. Though there are three crucial Earth layers, however, there are a lot of sub-layers and physical component varies from layer to layer. Seismologists are searching for the earthquake diagnostic precursors to tell about earthquake occurrence of time, place and intensity. Until now, we can warn you about the vulnerability of zones and prompt you to take precautions. 

    Is there any relation between climate change and earthquakes?I wrote a scientific paper in 2014 arguing climate change vis-à-vis earthquakes. Climate change led to speeding up the melting of glaciers, so the reduction in ice thickness. So, now, a lot of the brittle failure is taking place because of the lessening of the ice thickness block, consequently reducing Earth’s crust load. It results in lower modulation seismicity of 3.5-4.1 magnitudes of earthquake at a micro level in the polar region and Himalayan glaciers.

    The Himalaya ecosystem is shared among ten countries. But there is no holistic plan in place to manage the Himalayas to save its melting glaciers. Do you think managing of Himalayas in a holistic way to reducing the earthquake disaster?Himalaya is regarded as a water tower and an immense resource zone for most Asian countries. Sustainable management of the Himalayan ecosystem to reduce the fast melting of glaciers is the need of an hour to save water wastage. If we do not intervene timely, earthquake impact would further aggravate as I mentioned, climate change cause mild tremors. These mild tremors cause rock cracks at the subsurface and surface levels. When the melting of the water or the water from the Himalayan starts percolating and gushing into those cracks, further widening and leading to instability. All of these are not visible to the naked eye. Take the example of Joshimath. Joshimath is located in the rupture zone of the Chamoli earthquake of 6.8 magnitude in 1999. Then after, there were over 2000 aftershocks (mild tremors) of magnitude between 5 – 5.6 in the next year. 

    Are the aftershocks major reasons behind the subsidence of Joshimath?Over 2000 aftershocks happened between 1999-2000, which is the primary reason behind the subsiding of Joshimath instead of developmental work such as tunnelling. We are assessing the crack volume of the subsurface rock to suggest what will be long-term remedial measures such as how to get sustainable water passage and the possibility of the Joshimath.

    Don’t you think developmental work accentuates the earthquake and subsidence of Joshimath?Making a construction or development of infrastructures is a very localised phenomenon. It is true that sometimes developmental processes also cause ecological imbalances. However, they also make compensation through afforestation work or other bioengineering solutions. You only need competent and sound technological solutions to address development planning —no need to create a phobia against development. Japan is a great example.

    It is hard to forecast earthquakes with the current state of knowledge. Research is going on to predict the place, time and intensity of earthquakes. 

    Dr OP Mishra, Director, National Centre for Seismology, in a conversation with Jitendra Choubey, says we need sound technological solutions to address our development planning — no need to create a phobia against development.

    Why Himalayan region has been experiencing frequent earthquakes? 
    Tectonic configuration of the Himalayas in a way that each Indian plate collides with the Eurasian plates. Around 50 million years ago, during the formation process of Himalayan ranges, Indian plates were subducted beneath the Eurasian plates. The dynamics of plates are in such a way that the Indian plate tries to move on further, while the Eurasian plate resists its movement. These frictional motions – resistive and forward – cause a collision of tectonics plate or collisional subduction in the Himalayan region. 
    It makes rocks subject to too much strain and energy accumulation. Finally, it reaches a point when the rock’s searing and bearing capacity is superseded by stress, resulting in rock ruptures and ultimate earthquakes happening everywhere in the Himalayan region. It makes this region quite dynamic. The measurement of the earthquake is in ‘magnitude’, which shows the total content of energy gets released. I see it as very similar to human anatomy that an earthquake is nothing but a heart attack of Earth.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    How many seismogenic faults exist in the Himalayas?
    An earthquake generates faults, and faults generate the earthquake. There are lots of partitioning of the seismogenic faults which give relative motion to the blocks. There are some regional faults, the main central thrust (MCT) fault which pushes further north. Indo-Gangetic plain is partitioned by Himalayan frontal thrust(HFT). So HFT is the boundary between the Gangetic alluvial and Shivalik.
    Further north is another partition called Main Boundary Thrust (MBT). It is a boundary between Shivalik in the south and Sub-Himalayas and the lesser Himalayas in the North. Then there is the boundary of the main central thrust (MCT), which separates Greater Himalaya and Lesser Himalaya. Besides, there are many minor faults like Brahmaputra, Taapsee, Kangra, and Dhubri faults in Assam. However, some faults are already mapped while some faults are yet to be mapped, i.e. hidden faults. 

    Are we getting nearer to the forecast earthquake? 
    It is impossible to predict any earthquake with the present state of knowledge. Furthermore, the prediction has four stages – Anticipation, Expectation (increasing certainty), Justification, and Authentication regarding location, time and size.

    We crossed all three forecast stages and demarcated the globe into different seismogenic zones. Based on it, today we can answer that there is a high possibility of an earthquake in the Himalayas. However, we can’t answer where, when, and at what depth and size. Globally, the study is going on to decipher the fourth stage.  

    Is there any need for some basic technology? 
    In studying seismology, there is a huge difference between laboratory experiments and the real action of the Earth. For instance, if we take a particular rock and apply measurable pressure and temperature to test its searing and bearing capacity. But in reality, it behaves differently at different sub-surface levels. 
    Though there are three crucial Earth layers, however, there are a lot of sub-layers and physical component varies from layer to layer. Seismologists are searching for the earthquake diagnostic precursors to tell about earthquake occurrence of time, place and intensity. Until now, we can warn you about the vulnerability of zones and prompt you to take precautions. 

    Is there any relation between climate change and earthquakes?
    I wrote a scientific paper in 2014 arguing climate change vis-à-vis earthquakes. Climate change led to speeding up the melting of glaciers, so the reduction in ice thickness. So, now, a lot of the brittle failure is taking place because of the lessening of the ice thickness block, consequently reducing Earth’s crust load. It results in lower modulation seismicity of 3.5-4.1 magnitudes of earthquake at a micro level in the polar region and Himalayan glaciers.

    The Himalaya ecosystem is shared among ten countries. But there is no holistic plan in place to manage the Himalayas to save its melting glaciers. Do you think managing of Himalayas in a holistic way to reducing the earthquake disaster?
    Himalaya is regarded as a water tower and an immense resource zone for most Asian countries. Sustainable management of the Himalayan ecosystem to reduce the fast melting of glaciers is the need of an hour to save water wastage. If we do not intervene timely, earthquake impact would further aggravate as I mentioned, climate change cause mild tremors. These mild tremors cause rock cracks at the subsurface and surface levels. When the melting of the water or the water from the Himalayan starts percolating and gushing into those cracks, further widening and leading to instability. All of these are not visible to the naked eye. Take the example of Joshimath. Joshimath is located in the rupture zone of the Chamoli earthquake of 6.8 magnitude in 1999. Then after, there were over 2000 aftershocks (mild tremors) of magnitude between 5 – 5.6 in the next year. 

    Are the aftershocks major reasons behind the subsidence of Joshimath?
    Over 2000 aftershocks happened between 1999-2000, which is the primary reason behind the subsiding of Joshimath instead of developmental work such as tunnelling. We are assessing the crack volume of the subsurface rock to suggest what will be long-term remedial measures such as how to get sustainable water passage and the possibility of the Joshimath.

    Don’t you think developmental work accentuates the earthquake and subsidence of Joshimath?
    Making a construction or development of infrastructures is a very localised phenomenon. It is true that sometimes developmental processes also cause ecological imbalances. However, they also make compensation through afforestation work or other bioengineering solutions. You only need competent and sound technological solutions to address development planning —no need to create a phobia against development. Japan is a great example.

  • Joshimath disaster-hit people get ultimatum from hotel owners to vacate rooms by March 31

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: Hundreds of families, who were rendered homeless in the land-submerged disaster in Joshimath earlier this year, are once again facing the crisis of homelessness.

    The affected people, who were shifted to hotels by the administration due to cracks in houses, have now been asked by hotel owners to vacate their hotel rooms by March 31. The number of such affected families in various hotels and dharamshalas in Joshimath municipality area is 181, with a total of 694 members.

    According to the information received, the affected people have been told by the hotel owners, in view of the forthcoming Yatra season for Chardham Yatra, to vacate the hotel rooms within the next two days. 

    District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana told The New Indian Express, “By March 31, orders were received to shift the disaster-affected people to hotels. The government has been written to keep the affected in hotels till April 30. Even after March 31, no disaster-affected person will be excluded from hotels. If a hotel owner is asking the affected people to leave the hotel, it will be investigated”.

    Speaking to The New Indian Express, Joshimath SDM Kumkum Joshi said, “The government has been informed about this and a solution will be found soon to ensure that the affected people do not face any problem nor the hotel business is affected by it”.

    “In the first week of January, people were displaced in hotels, dharamshalas and rented houses after the land submergence increased in Joshimath. In hotels, the government is paying a rent of Rs 950 for a room. Those who are living in rented houses are being given five thousand rupees. There are 694 members of 181 families staying in various hotels, dharamshalas in Joshimath Municipality area. Arrangements have also been made for their food and drink,” said SDM Joshi.

    Hotel owner Govind Singh says, “There are 10 rooms in his hotel. Two of these rooms have been given to the disaster-affected. The administration had asked to keep affected till March. Now they need rooms for the Chardham Yatra. Many times large groups of pilgrims come. In such a situation, if the disaster-affected people are kept here, they will not be able to provide rooms to the pilgrims.

    DEHRADUN: Hundreds of families, who were rendered homeless in the land-submerged disaster in Joshimath earlier this year, are once again facing the crisis of homelessness.

    The affected people, who were shifted to hotels by the administration due to cracks in houses, have now been asked by hotel owners to vacate their hotel rooms by March 31. The number of such affected families in various hotels and dharamshalas in Joshimath municipality area is 181, with a total of 694 members.

    According to the information received, the affected people have been told by the hotel owners, in view of the forthcoming Yatra season for Chardham Yatra, to vacate the hotel rooms within the next two days. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana told The New Indian Express, “By March 31, orders were received to shift the disaster-affected people to hotels. The government has been written to keep the affected in hotels till April 30. Even after March 31, no disaster-affected person will be excluded from hotels. If a hotel owner is asking the affected people to leave the hotel, it will be investigated”.

    Speaking to The New Indian Express, Joshimath SDM Kumkum Joshi said, “The government has been informed about this and a solution will be found soon to ensure that the affected people do not face any problem nor the hotel business is affected by it”.

    “In the first week of January, people were displaced in hotels, dharamshalas and rented houses after the land submergence increased in Joshimath. In hotels, the government is paying a rent of Rs 950 for a room. Those who are living in rented houses are being given five thousand rupees. There are 694 members of 181 families staying in various hotels, dharamshalas in Joshimath Municipality area. Arrangements have also been made for their food and drink,” said SDM Joshi.

    Hotel owner Govind Singh says, “There are 10 rooms in his hotel. Two of these rooms have been given to the disaster-affected. The administration had asked to keep affected till March. Now they need rooms for the Chardham Yatra. Many times large groups of pilgrims come. In such a situation, if the disaster-affected people are kept here, they will not be able to provide rooms to the pilgrims.

  • ‘A time bomb’: India’s sinking holy town faces grim future

    By Associated Press

    JOSHIMATH: Inside a shrine overlooking snow-capped mountains, Hindu priests heaped spoonfuls of puffed rice and ghee into a crackling fire. They closed their eyes and chanted in Sanskrit, hoping their prayers would somehow turn back time and save their holy — and sinking — town.

    For months, the roughly 20,000 residents in Joshimath, burrowed in the Himalayas and revered by Hindu and Sikh pilgrims, have watched the earth slowly swallow their community. They pleaded for help that never arrived, and in January their desperate plight made it into the international spotlight.

    But by then, Joshimath was already a disaster zone. Multistoried hotels slumped to one side; cracked roads gaped open. More than 860 homes were uninhabitable, splayed by deep fissures that snaked through ceilings, floors and walls. And instead of saviours, they got bulldozers that razed whole lopsided swaths of the town.

    The holy town was built on piles of debris left behind by years of landslides and earthquakes. Scientists have warned for decades, including in a 1976 report, that Joshimath could not withstand the level of heavy construction that has recently been taking place. “Cracks are widening every day and people are in fear. We have been saying for years this is not just a disaster, but a disaster in the making… it’s a time bomb,” said Atul Sati, an activist with the Save Joshimath Committee.

    Joshimath’s future is at risk, experts and activists say, due in part to a push backed by the prime minister’s political party to grow religious tourism in Uttarakhand, the holy town’s home state. On top of climate change, extensive new construction to accommodate more tourists and accelerate hydropower projects in the region is exacerbating subsidence — the sinking of land.

    ALSO WATCH:

    ‘Brain of North India’

    Located 1,890 meters (6,200 feet) above sea level, Joshimath is said to have special spiritual powers and is believed to be where Hindu guru Adi Shankaracharya found enlightenment in the 8th century before going on to establish four monasteries across India, including one in Joshimath. Visitors pass through the town on their way to the famous Sikh shrine, Hemkund Sahib, and the Hindu temple, Badrinath.

    “It must be protected,” said Brahmachari Mukundanand, a local priest who called Joshimath the “brain of North India” and explained that “Our body can still function if some limbs are cut off. But if anything happens to our brain, we can’t function. … Its survival is extremely important.”

    The town’s loose topsoil and soft rocks can only support so much and that limit, according to environmentalist Vimlendu Jha, may have already been breached. “You can’t just construct anything anywhere just because it is allowed,” he said. “In the short term, you might think it’s development. But in the long term, it is actually devastation.”

    Hindu priests pray to save their town in the famed Adi Shankaracharya monastery, in Joshimath, Uttarakhand, Jan. 20, 2023. (Photo | AP)

    At least 240 families have been forced to relocate without knowing if they would be able to return.

    Prabha Sati, who fled Joshimath in a panic last month when her home began to crack and tilt, came back to grab the television, idols of Hindu gods and some shoes before state officials demolished her home. “We built this house with so much difficulty. Now I will have to leave everything behind. Every small piece of it will be destroyed,” she said, blinking back tears.

    Authorities, ignoring expert warnings, have continued to move forward with costly projects in the region, including a slew of hydropower stations and a lengthy highway. The latter is aimed at further boosting religious tourism, a key plank of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

    In 2021, Modi promised a prosperous decade ahead for Uttarakhand. It is dotted with several holy shrines and improving the state’s infrastructure has already led to a steady rise in pilgrims over the decades. Nearly 500,000 passed through Joshimath in 2019, state data shows. “In the next 10 years, the state will receive more tourists than it did in the last 100 years,” Modi said.

    ALSO READ | The Himalayan loot that triggered the Joshimath disaster

    Paying the price for religious tourism

    A big Uttarakhand tourism draw is the Char Dham pilgrimage, one of the toughest in India. The route takes people to four, high-altitude Hindu temples. Pilgrims traverse challenging terrain, dropping oxygen levels and harsh weather between Badrinath, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Yamunotri temples. In 2022, over 200 out of the 250,000 pilgrims died while making the journey. Authorities said the rise in visitors was straining existing infrastructure.

    Already underway, the Char Dham infrastructure project aims to make the journey more accessible via a 10-meter (32-foot) wide and 889-kilometre (552 miles) long all-weather highway as well as a 327-kilometre (203-mile) railway line that would crisscross through the mountains. It is a controversial project with some experts saying it will exacerbate the fragile situation in the upper Himalayas where several towns are built atop landslide debris.

    An ariel view of a construction site of one of the longest railway tunnels, spanning 15 kilometres along the Rishikesh-Karanprayag line to connect the Char Dam pilgrimage, in Lachmoli village, Uttarakhand, Jan.18, 2023. (Photo | AP)

    Veteran environmentalist Ravi Chopra called the project a desecration when he resigned from a court-ordered committee studying its impact. To create such wide roads, engineers would need to smash boulders, cut trees and strip shrubbery, which he said will weaken slopes and make them “more susceptible to natural disasters.”

    Urban planning expert Kiran Shinde suggested a pedestrian corridor instead, noting these places were never meant for cars or crowds numbering in the hundreds of thousands. “The highway is the most disastrous thing to happen to the Char Dham,” said Shinde, a professor at Australia’s La Trobe University who has written on religious tourism. “Let people walk.”

    Cracks continue to form. Located near a rail line construction site, Sangeeta Krishali’s home in Lachmoli, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Joshimath, has them. She fears for her safety: “It happened there, it can happen here, too.”

    In Joshimath’s foothills, construction was paused on a road for the Char Dham project that would ferry tourists faster to the Badrinath temple after cracks emerged in people’s homes.

    Locals feared it was too late. A long, jagged crack running across one of the front walls in the famed Adi Shankaracharya monastery had deepened worryingly in recent weeks, said Vishnu Priyanand, one of the priests. “Let places of worship remain as places of worship. Don’t make them tourist spots,” he pleaded.

    ALSO READ | Joshimath sinking: Mental health issues add to trauma of displaced

    ‘Go back NTPC’

    It’s not just the highways. For the past 17 years, Atul Sati, the Save Joshimath Committee member, has been convinced that a hydropower station located near his town could one day ruin it. He isn’t alone. In late January, hundreds of residents protested against the National Thermal Power Corporation’s Tapovan project. Posters reading ‘Go back NTPC’ are plastered across the town’s main market.

    “Our town is on the verge of destruction because of this project,” Sati said.

    Locals say construction blasts for a 12-kilometre (7-mile) tunnel for the station are causing their homes to crumble. Work has been suspended but NTPC officials deny any link to Joshimath’s subsidence. An expert committee is still investigating the cause, but state officials earlier blamed faulty drainage systems.

    A resident shows multiple cracks on the walls of his house, in Joshimath, Uttarakhand, Jan. 19, 2023.  (Photo | AP)

    The state government announced interim relief packages, including compensation worth 150,000 rupees ($1,813) to each affected family, said Himanshu Khurana, the officer in charge of Chamoli district where Joshimath is located. Various government agencies were conducting surveys to determine what caused the damage, he added.

    The crisis in Joshimath has reignited questions over whether India’s quest for more hydropower in the mountains to cut its reliance on coal can be achieved sustainably. Uttarakhand, home to more than 30 rivers and surrounded by melting glaciers, has around 100 hydropower projects in varying stages.

    In 2021, 200 people died after the Tapovan plant near Joshimath was submerged by severe floods caused in part by fast-shrinking glaciers, and over 6,000 were killed in the state after a devastating cloudburst in 2013.

    The heavy construction required for hydropower, like blasting boulders, diverting river flows and cutting through forests, in a region already vulnerable to climate change, could do irreparable damage, experts warn. It could also displace entire villages, as residents of a hamlet near Joshimath found out.

    ALSO READ | Joshimath sinking: Displaced people say, “wounds will no longer heal”

    From sacred hamlet to dumping site

    Haat, a village along the Alaknanda River, was once a sacred hamlet that traced its origins to the guru Adi Shankaracharya, who is said to have established another temple here in the 8th Century. Today, it is a dumping site for waste and a storage pit for construction materials after the village was acquired in 2009 by an energy enterprise to build a hydropower project.

    The Laxmi Narayan temple, encircled by grey stacks of cement, is the only part of the village still standing. All of its residents left over the years as authorities began razing down their homes, said Rajendra Hatwal, once the village chief who now lives in another town nearby.

    The project, he fumed, had killed Haat.

    “What sort of development requires destroying these priceless places? We don’t want any part of it.”

    A court last year directed authorities to stop dumping waste near the historic temple, which was once the last rest stop for devotees on their pilgrimage to Badrinath.

    Hatwal and a few others still check in on the temple often. A caretaker, who refused to leave, lives in a makeshift room next to it. He sweeps the grounds, cleans the idols and prepares tea for the odd guest who comes through. They feared its days, like their homes, were also numbered.

    “We are fighting to protect the temple. We want to preserve our ancient culture to pass on to a new generation,” said Hatwal. “They have not only destroyed a village – they have finished a 1,200-year-old culture.”

    JOSHIMATH: Inside a shrine overlooking snow-capped mountains, Hindu priests heaped spoonfuls of puffed rice and ghee into a crackling fire. They closed their eyes and chanted in Sanskrit, hoping their prayers would somehow turn back time and save their holy — and sinking — town.

    For months, the roughly 20,000 residents in Joshimath, burrowed in the Himalayas and revered by Hindu and Sikh pilgrims, have watched the earth slowly swallow their community. They pleaded for help that never arrived, and in January their desperate plight made it into the international spotlight.

    But by then, Joshimath was already a disaster zone. Multistoried hotels slumped to one side; cracked roads gaped open. More than 860 homes were uninhabitable, splayed by deep fissures that snaked through ceilings, floors and walls. And instead of saviours, they got bulldozers that razed whole lopsided swaths of the town.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The holy town was built on piles of debris left behind by years of landslides and earthquakes. Scientists have warned for decades, including in a 1976 report, that Joshimath could not withstand the level of heavy construction that has recently been taking place. “Cracks are widening every day and people are in fear. We have been saying for years this is not just a disaster, but a disaster in the making… it’s a time bomb,” said Atul Sati, an activist with the Save Joshimath Committee.

    Joshimath’s future is at risk, experts and activists say, due in part to a push backed by the prime minister’s political party to grow religious tourism in Uttarakhand, the holy town’s home state. On top of climate change, extensive new construction to accommodate more tourists and accelerate hydropower projects in the region is exacerbating subsidence — the sinking of land.

    ALSO WATCH:

    ‘Brain of North India’

    Located 1,890 meters (6,200 feet) above sea level, Joshimath is said to have special spiritual powers and is believed to be where Hindu guru Adi Shankaracharya found enlightenment in the 8th century before going on to establish four monasteries across India, including one in Joshimath. Visitors pass through the town on their way to the famous Sikh shrine, Hemkund Sahib, and the Hindu temple, Badrinath.

    “It must be protected,” said Brahmachari Mukundanand, a local priest who called Joshimath the “brain of North India” and explained that “Our body can still function if some limbs are cut off. But if anything happens to our brain, we can’t function. … Its survival is extremely important.”

    The town’s loose topsoil and soft rocks can only support so much and that limit, according to environmentalist Vimlendu Jha, may have already been breached. “You can’t just construct anything anywhere just because it is allowed,” he said. “In the short term, you might think it’s development. But in the long term, it is actually devastation.”

    Hindu priests pray to save their town in the famed Adi Shankaracharya monastery, in Joshimath, Uttarakhand, Jan. 20, 2023. (Photo | AP)

    At least 240 families have been forced to relocate without knowing if they would be able to return.

    Prabha Sati, who fled Joshimath in a panic last month when her home began to crack and tilt, came back to grab the television, idols of Hindu gods and some shoes before state officials demolished her home. “We built this house with so much difficulty. Now I will have to leave everything behind. Every small piece of it will be destroyed,” she said, blinking back tears.

    Authorities, ignoring expert warnings, have continued to move forward with costly projects in the region, including a slew of hydropower stations and a lengthy highway. The latter is aimed at further boosting religious tourism, a key plank of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

    In 2021, Modi promised a prosperous decade ahead for Uttarakhand. It is dotted with several holy shrines and improving the state’s infrastructure has already led to a steady rise in pilgrims over the decades. Nearly 500,000 passed through Joshimath in 2019, state data shows. “In the next 10 years, the state will receive more tourists than it did in the last 100 years,” Modi said.

    ALSO READ | The Himalayan loot that triggered the Joshimath disaster

    Paying the price for religious tourism

    A big Uttarakhand tourism draw is the Char Dham pilgrimage, one of the toughest in India. The route takes people to four, high-altitude Hindu temples. Pilgrims traverse challenging terrain, dropping oxygen levels and harsh weather between Badrinath, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Yamunotri temples. In 2022, over 200 out of the 250,000 pilgrims died while making the journey. Authorities said the rise in visitors was straining existing infrastructure.

    Already underway, the Char Dham infrastructure project aims to make the journey more accessible via a 10-meter (32-foot) wide and 889-kilometre (552 miles) long all-weather highway as well as a 327-kilometre (203-mile) railway line that would crisscross through the mountains. It is a controversial project with some experts saying it will exacerbate the fragile situation in the upper Himalayas where several towns are built atop landslide debris.

    An ariel view of a construction site of one of the longest railway tunnels, spanning 15 kilometres along the Rishikesh-Karanprayag line to connect the Char Dam pilgrimage, in Lachmoli village, Uttarakhand, Jan.18, 2023. (Photo | AP)

    Veteran environmentalist Ravi Chopra called the project a desecration when he resigned from a court-ordered committee studying its impact. To create such wide roads, engineers would need to smash boulders, cut trees and strip shrubbery, which he said will weaken slopes and make them “more susceptible to natural disasters.”

    Urban planning expert Kiran Shinde suggested a pedestrian corridor instead, noting these places were never meant for cars or crowds numbering in the hundreds of thousands. “The highway is the most disastrous thing to happen to the Char Dham,” said Shinde, a professor at Australia’s La Trobe University who has written on religious tourism. “Let people walk.”

    Cracks continue to form. Located near a rail line construction site, Sangeeta Krishali’s home in Lachmoli, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Joshimath, has them. She fears for her safety: “It happened there, it can happen here, too.”

    In Joshimath’s foothills, construction was paused on a road for the Char Dham project that would ferry tourists faster to the Badrinath temple after cracks emerged in people’s homes.

    Locals feared it was too late. A long, jagged crack running across one of the front walls in the famed Adi Shankaracharya monastery had deepened worryingly in recent weeks, said Vishnu Priyanand, one of the priests. “Let places of worship remain as places of worship. Don’t make them tourist spots,” he pleaded.

    ALSO READ | Joshimath sinking: Mental health issues add to trauma of displaced

    ‘Go back NTPC’

    It’s not just the highways. For the past 17 years, Atul Sati, the Save Joshimath Committee member, has been convinced that a hydropower station located near his town could one day ruin it. He isn’t alone. In late January, hundreds of residents protested against the National Thermal Power Corporation’s Tapovan project. Posters reading ‘Go back NTPC’ are plastered across the town’s main market.

    “Our town is on the verge of destruction because of this project,” Sati said.

    Locals say construction blasts for a 12-kilometre (7-mile) tunnel for the station are causing their homes to crumble. Work has been suspended but NTPC officials deny any link to Joshimath’s subsidence. An expert committee is still investigating the cause, but state officials earlier blamed faulty drainage systems.

    A resident shows multiple cracks on the walls of his house, in Joshimath, Uttarakhand, Jan. 19, 2023.  (Photo | AP)

    The state government announced interim relief packages, including compensation worth 150,000 rupees ($1,813) to each affected family, said Himanshu Khurana, the officer in charge of Chamoli district where Joshimath is located. Various government agencies were conducting surveys to determine what caused the damage, he added.

    The crisis in Joshimath has reignited questions over whether India’s quest for more hydropower in the mountains to cut its reliance on coal can be achieved sustainably. Uttarakhand, home to more than 30 rivers and surrounded by melting glaciers, has around 100 hydropower projects in varying stages.

    In 2021, 200 people died after the Tapovan plant near Joshimath was submerged by severe floods caused in part by fast-shrinking glaciers, and over 6,000 were killed in the state after a devastating cloudburst in 2013.

    The heavy construction required for hydropower, like blasting boulders, diverting river flows and cutting through forests, in a region already vulnerable to climate change, could do irreparable damage, experts warn. It could also displace entire villages, as residents of a hamlet near Joshimath found out.

    ALSO READ | Joshimath sinking: Displaced people say, “wounds will no longer heal”

    From sacred hamlet to dumping site

    Haat, a village along the Alaknanda River, was once a sacred hamlet that traced its origins to the guru Adi Shankaracharya, who is said to have established another temple here in the 8th Century. Today, it is a dumping site for waste and a storage pit for construction materials after the village was acquired in 2009 by an energy enterprise to build a hydropower project.

    The Laxmi Narayan temple, encircled by grey stacks of cement, is the only part of the village still standing. All of its residents left over the years as authorities began razing down their homes, said Rajendra Hatwal, once the village chief who now lives in another town nearby.

    The project, he fumed, had killed Haat.

    “What sort of development requires destroying these priceless places? We don’t want any part of it.”

    A court last year directed authorities to stop dumping waste near the historic temple, which was once the last rest stop for devotees on their pilgrimage to Badrinath.

    Hatwal and a few others still check in on the temple often. A caretaker, who refused to leave, lives in a makeshift room next to it. He sweeps the grounds, cleans the idols and prepares tea for the odd guest who comes through. They feared its days, like their homes, were also numbered.

    “We are fighting to protect the temple. We want to preserve our ancient culture to pass on to a new generation,” said Hatwal. “They have not only destroyed a village – they have finished a 1,200-year-old culture.”

  • Joshimath: Government releases compensation policy for disaster-hit people, damaged buildings 

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government has issued a compensation policy for buildings damaged in the Joshimath land submergence disaster. After the approval of the Governor, Secretary of Disaster Management Dr Ranjit Kumar Sinha issued the government order.

    According to a government order issued on Wednesday, the compensation rates will be calculated on the basis of the rates of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for the plinth area. Joshimath’s cost index will also be added to it. Compensation will be given by making slabs for commercial buildings. Three options have been given for permanent rehabilitation.

    According to information received from the state disaster management department, “The government has issued a compensation policy for the damaged buildings of Joshimath. The compensation for residential buildings has been fixed at Rs 31,201 per square metre to Rs 36,527 per square metre. For commercial buildings, the rates have been fixed at Rs 39,182 per square metre to Rs 46,099 per square metre.

    The compensation for the land will be decided after the report of the technical institutes. It will be placed in the next cabinet meeting for approval.

    Compensation for commercial buildings will be given after deducting the amount of depreciation of the affected building from the cost of the affected building based on the rates fixed in five slabs. Apart from this, five slabs have been fixed for compensation for shops and other commercial establishments. (hotels,dhabas, etc.)

    The government has already given three options for residential buildings.

    Option 1: Disaster-affected land building owners, whose residential buildings are not habitable based on the report of technical institutions, will be compensated at the rate fixed for the residential building. If the land is also declared unsafe, then it will also be compensated according to the rates fixed in the future.

    Option 2: If disaster-affected people whose buildings and land will be declared unsafe, if they demand land for a residential building while receiving building compensation, the maximum area to build a house for the affected person is 75 square meters. If the price of the unprotected land of the affected family is higher than the allotted land, compensation will be given separately by the government after adjustment.

    Option 3: The disaster-affected person can demand a residential building constructed relative to his land and building. Houses will be built by the state government on land up to a maximum area of 50 square meters. Apart from this, 25 square meters of land will be given for cow shelter and other work. Apartfrom this, separate compensation will be given if there is land.

    DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government has issued a compensation policy for buildings damaged in the Joshimath land submergence disaster. After the approval of the Governor, Secretary of Disaster Management Dr Ranjit Kumar Sinha issued the government order.

    According to a government order issued on Wednesday, the compensation rates will be calculated on the basis of the rates of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for the plinth area. Joshimath’s cost index will also be added to it. Compensation will be given by making slabs for commercial buildings. Three options have been given for permanent rehabilitation.

    According to information received from the state disaster management department, “The government has issued a compensation policy for the damaged buildings of Joshimath. The compensation for residential buildings has been fixed at Rs 31,201 per square metre to Rs 36,527 per square metre. For commercial buildings, the rates have been fixed at Rs 39,182 per square metre to Rs 46,099 per square metre.

    The compensation for the land will be decided after the report of the technical institutes. It will be placed in the next cabinet meeting for approval.

    Compensation for commercial buildings will be given after deducting the amount of depreciation of the affected building from the cost of the affected building based on the rates fixed in five slabs. Apart from this, five slabs have been fixed for compensation for shops and other commercial establishments. (hotels,
    dhabas, etc.)

    The government has already given three options for residential buildings.

    Option 1: Disaster-affected land building owners, whose residential buildings are not habitable based on the report of technical institutions, will be compensated at the rate fixed for the residential building. If the land is also declared unsafe, then it will also be compensated according to the rates fixed in the future.

    Option 2: If disaster-affected people whose buildings and land will be declared unsafe, if they demand land for a residential building while receiving building compensation, the maximum area to build a house for the affected person is 75 square meters. If the price of the unprotected land of the affected family is higher than the allotted land, compensation will be given separately by the government after adjustment.

    Option 3: The disaster-affected person can demand a residential building constructed relative to his land and building. Houses will be built by the state government on land up to a maximum area of 50 square meters. Apart from this, 25 square meters of land will be given for cow shelter and other work. Apart
    from this, separate compensation will be given if there is land.

  • Joshimath: State government offers flexible rehabilitation plans for disaster-affected people

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: Nearly a month after the natural calamity of land submergence that damaged over 800 houses and commercial establishments in the ancient city of Joshimath, the government has proposed three options for rehabilitation and displacement of disaster-affected people.

    The state government has prepared a plan for the disaster-affected people with the option of one-time settlement in lieu of damage to land and buildings, as well as the option of house and land instead of land. On the suggestions of the committee formed at the district level, the High Powered Committee (HPC) headed by Additional Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan has given its in-principle consent on all three options. The disaster-affected can choose any one of these options.

    The three options were approved after discussing the proposals made by District Magistrate Chamoli Himanshu Khurana at a meeting of the HPC chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan at the state secretariat on Monday. Giving details of the meeting, Secretary Disaster Management Dr Ranjit Kumar Sinha said, “Joshimath disaster affected people can choose any one of the three options themselves”, adding, “Compensation for land will be decided on the basis of circle rate, the decision on new circle rate will be taken in the next cabinet meeting”.

    “Compensation for buildings will be given as per the prescribed standards of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), large hotels will be given full compensation, while small shops and hotels (dhabas) will be given two options. 

    As a first option, small shopkeepers and dhaba operators will be able to take full compensation simultaneously. Dr Sinha said.  As a second option, a shop will be allotted in 15 square meters at the displaced site.  

    “After receiving the final report of the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), it will be decided how many buildings will be removed and how many will be retrofitted,” added Dr Sinha.

    SETTLEMENT OPTIONS:

    Option One: First of all, disaster-affected people have been given the option of a one-time settlement. Under this, the affected land building owners will be paid full financial assistance for the damaged building and land within one time under the prescribed standards as compensation. Before payment, the registry of the affected land, and the building will be in favour of the state government.

    Option Two: 100 square meters of land for construction of houses, compensation will be given to the affected land building owners for the construction of houses in terms of the affected land.

    Option Three: Under this option, a duplex building will be constructed in a maximum area of 75 square meters at the identified place for the rehabilitation of the affected. If the residential building or land of the disaster-affected person is more than this, then they will be paid the remaining amount in return.

    Congress workers burn BJP president Mahendra Bhatt’s effigy

    BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt’s statement calling the Joshimath agitators “Maoists and agents of China” triggered outrage from Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti and Congress workers who burnt an effigy of Bhatt. Condemning Bhatt’s statement,  Samiti president Atul Satti demanded, “Bhatt should publicly apologise to the residents of Joshimath”.

    DEHRADUN: Nearly a month after the natural calamity of land submergence that damaged over 800 houses and commercial establishments in the ancient city of Joshimath, the government has proposed three options for rehabilitation and displacement of disaster-affected people.

    The state government has prepared a plan for the disaster-affected people with the option of one-time settlement in lieu of damage to land and buildings, as well as the option of house and land instead of land. On the suggestions of the committee formed at the district level, the High Powered Committee (HPC) headed by Additional Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan has given its in-principle consent on all three options. The disaster-affected can choose any one of these options.

    The three options were approved after discussing the proposals made by District Magistrate Chamoli Himanshu Khurana at a meeting of the HPC chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan at the state secretariat on Monday. Giving details of the meeting, Secretary Disaster Management Dr Ranjit Kumar Sinha said, “Joshimath disaster affected people can choose any one of the three options themselves”, adding, “Compensation for land will be decided on the basis of circle rate, the decision on new circle rate will be taken in the next cabinet meeting”.

    “Compensation for buildings will be given as per the prescribed standards of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), large hotels will be given full compensation, while small shops and hotels (dhabas) will be given two options. 

    As a first option, small shopkeepers and dhaba operators will be able to take full compensation simultaneously. Dr Sinha said.  As a second option, a shop will be allotted in 15 square meters at the displaced site.  

    “After receiving the final report of the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), it will be decided how many buildings will be removed and how many will be retrofitted,” added Dr Sinha.

    SETTLEMENT OPTIONS:

    Option One: First of all, disaster-affected people have been given the option of a one-time settlement. Under this, the affected land building owners will be paid full financial assistance for the damaged building and land within one time under the prescribed standards as compensation. Before payment, the registry of the affected land, and the building will be in favour of the state government.

    Option Two: 100 square meters of land for construction of houses, compensation will be given to the affected land building owners for the construction of houses in terms of the affected land.

    Option Three: Under this option, a duplex building will be constructed in a maximum area of 75 square meters at the identified place for the rehabilitation of the affected. If the residential building or land of the disaster-affected person is more than this, then they will be paid the remaining amount in return.

    Congress workers burn BJP president Mahendra Bhatt’s effigy

    BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt’s statement calling the Joshimath agitators “Maoists and agents of China” triggered outrage from Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti and Congress workers who burnt an effigy of Bhatt. Condemning Bhatt’s statement,  Samiti president Atul Satti demanded, “Bhatt should publicly apologise to the residents of Joshimath”.

  • Uttarakhand tableau wins top prize in R-Day parade

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Even as unease continues in the state due to the sinking of land in Joshimath, Uttarakhand got a reason to cheer on Monday. The state’s tableau bagged the top spot for the first time at the Republic Day Parade this year. The tableaux of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh stood second and third, respectively.

    The Army’s Punjab Regiment Centre contingent was declared the best marching contingent among the three services, while the Indian Air Force won the first spot in the online public poll conducted by MyGov. From among Central Armed Police Forces(CAPF) and other auxiliary forces, the Central Reserve Police Force was named as the best marching contingent.

    The Uttarakhand tableau, titled Manaskhand, depicted the proposed Manaskhand corridor project that will link all major temples of the Kumaon region and develop them along the lines of the Char Dham in the Garhwal region. It showcased the famous Jageshwar Temple, besides other elements like the rich wildlife of the state. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh had also created their presentations with a religious theme.

    Maharashtra presented the three-and-a-half Shaktipeeths of Adishakti the Mahalakshmi Temple of Kolhapur, Sri Kshetra Tuljapur of Tuljabhavani, Renukadevi of Mahur, and Saptshringi Devi of Vani. The tableau of Uttar Pradesh showcased the three-day Deepotsava celebrated in Ayodhya.

    Congratulating the people of the state, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami tweeted, “This achievement is a proud moment for all of us. Garhwal has been described as Kedarkhand and Kumaon as ‘Manaskhand’ in the Skanda Purana.

    Jageshwar Temple too has a lot of religious belief.” Gujarat won the first spot in an online public poll conducted by MyGov, for its tableau on green energy. The second spot went to Uttar Pradesh, followed by Maharashtra. “Three panels of judges were appointed for assessing the performance of marching contingents from three Services, marching contingents from Central Armed Police Forces and other auxiliary forces and tableaux” said the ministry of defence.

    Online poll was conducted for citizens to vote from January 25 to 28 on MyGov webpage. The ministry of tribal affairs tableau on ‘Eklavya model residential schools’ bagged the top position in the panel of judges section among ministries and departments. The home ministry’s presentation on CAPFs clinched the top spot in the popular choice category. A special prize went to Central Public Works Department on biodiversity conservation.

    Online poll was conducted for citizens to voteOnline poll was conducted for citizens to vote from January 25 to 28 on MyGov webpage. The ministry of tribal affairs tableau on ‘Eklavya model residential schools’ bagged the top position in the panel of judges section among ministries and departments. The home ministry’s presentation on CAPFs clinched the top spot in the popular choice category. A special prize went to Central Public Works Department on biodiversity conservation.  

    NEW DELHI:  Even as unease continues in the state due to the sinking of land in Joshimath, Uttarakhand got a reason to cheer on Monday. The state’s tableau bagged the top spot for the first time at the Republic Day Parade this year. The tableaux of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh stood second and third, respectively.

    The Army’s Punjab Regiment Centre contingent was declared the best marching contingent among the three services, while the Indian Air Force won the first spot in the online public poll conducted by MyGov. From among Central Armed Police Forces(CAPF) and other auxiliary forces, the Central Reserve Police Force was named as the best marching contingent.

    The Uttarakhand tableau, titled Manaskhand, depicted the proposed Manaskhand corridor project that will link all major temples of the Kumaon region and develop them along the lines of the Char Dham in the Garhwal region. It showcased the famous Jageshwar Temple, besides other elements like the rich wildlife of the state. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh had also created their presentations with a religious theme.

    Maharashtra presented the three-and-a-half Shaktipeeths of Adishakti the Mahalakshmi Temple of Kolhapur, Sri Kshetra Tuljapur of Tuljabhavani, Renukadevi of Mahur, and Saptshringi Devi of Vani. The tableau of Uttar Pradesh showcased the three-day Deepotsava celebrated in Ayodhya.

    Congratulating the people of the state, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami tweeted, “This achievement is a proud moment for all of us. Garhwal has been described as Kedarkhand and Kumaon as ‘Manaskhand’ in the Skanda Purana.

    Jageshwar Temple too has a lot of religious belief.” Gujarat won the first spot in an online public poll conducted by MyGov, for its tableau on green energy. The second spot went to Uttar Pradesh, followed by Maharashtra. “Three panels of judges were appointed for assessing the performance of marching contingents from three Services, marching contingents from Central Armed Police Forces and other auxiliary forces and tableaux” said the ministry of defence.

    Online poll was conducted for citizens to vote from January 25 to 28 on MyGov webpage. The ministry of tribal affairs tableau on ‘Eklavya model residential schools’ bagged the top position in the panel of judges section among ministries and departments. The home ministry’s presentation on CAPFs clinched the top spot in the popular choice category. A special prize went to Central Public Works Department on biodiversity conservation.

    Online poll was conducted for citizens to vote
    Online poll was conducted for citizens to vote from January 25 to 28 on MyGov webpage. The ministry of tribal affairs tableau on ‘Eklavya model residential schools’ bagged the top position in the panel of judges section among ministries and departments. The home ministry’s presentation on CAPFs clinched the top spot in the popular choice category. A special prize went to Central Public Works Department on biodiversity conservation.  

  • Joshimath sinking: Scientists claim 30 percent of ancient town is ‘hollow’

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: Joshimath, an ancient town adjacent to the border district, which has been hit by a natural disaster, is finding it difficult to recover from this crisis at the moment.

    In a major revelation, scientists have found that a large part of Joshimath, which is facing land sinking issues, has become hollow. “A huge amount of soil has been washed away with water. So far, cracks ranging from 40 to 50 meters deep have been found inside the ground at about 460 places.” 

    Disaster management officials believe that in such a situation, 30 percent of the area affected by landslides can collapse at any time. Therefore, there is no option but to immediately displace the nearly 4000 affected people settled in this area.” Buildings with cracks will have to be demolished soon.

    On the other hand, Joshimath residents took out a huge public awareness rally on Friday against the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) project. Hundreds of disaster-hit people, including traders, took to the streets and raised slogans of ‘NTPC go back, go back’. There was also anger against the government, the road leading to NTPC township from TCP Bazar was tightly guarded by the police in view of security. The area of the NTPC project office has been converted into a cantonment due to security reasons.

    The National Institute of Hydrology team has found in its findings that, “Land submergence in Joshimath gradually increased on the night of January 2. Meanwhile, muddy water started seeping from the hilly area behind the JP company’s residential colony, which still remains a puzzle for administrative officials and scientists”.

    In the last 23 days, about 2,21,40 thousand liters of water has leaked inside the ground. This amount of water is equivalent to a large lake.

    The most shocking report on water leakage is from the National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad. The report says, “Joshimath’s sloping mountain is built on a pile of debris, the soil that was covered with stones has been washed away in the water. The lower part of the stones has become hollow. Therefore, the ability to bear loads is gradually disappearing”. At the same time, CBRI has seen three sites for displacement.

    ALSO READ | Rehabilitation a difficult task for Joshimath administration, even the affected not unanimous

    This has been revealed from the preliminary report of the central investigating agencies. The report has been submitted to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). According to sources, the NDMA has already made a presentation in the Union Home Ministry on Wednesday. Scientists believe that after the final report of the investigation, the picture of Joshimath can be more ‘frightening’. Because sooner or later the entire Joshimath will be hit by it.

    According to sources, the survey found that there are 2500 houses in the land submergence area, in which 4000 people living are affected. At the same time, 30 percent of the buildings with cracks have been recommended to be demolished immediately. While it has also been suggested to explore the possibility of retrofitting the rest of the buildings. 

    The government is giving top importance to the opinion of scientists as well as the interests of the affected, a detailed blueprint is being prepared for this,” the state cabinet and minister in charge of Joshimath, Dr Dhan Singh Rawat, told The New Indian Express.

    “The government is fully sensitive to setting up new cities and compensation for the displaced and they will be rehabilitated as per the opinion of the affected people.”

    Departments and institutes involved in saving Joshimath

    1. Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) has been assigned for the construction of pre-fabricated model buildings for temporary rehabilitation, inspection of broken buildings as well as demolition.

    2. The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology: Seismology Geophysical Analysis as well as the Geophysical Survey are to submit their final report to the institute in two months.

    3. IIT Roorkee: A geotechnical survey is being conducted at Joshimath by IIT Roorkee. In this study, the scientists of the institute will find out what is the position of soil and stones in the geology of Joshimath. What is its load bearing capacity.

    4. NGRI, Hyderabad: A geological map up to a depth of 30 to 50 meters in Joshimath will be prepared with geophysical and geotechnical survey work. It has to submit its final report to the government in three weeks.

    5. National Institute of Hydrology (NIH): Conducting hydrological surveys in the affected area. The institute team will prepare a complete map of the water flowing in the ground here.

    6. Geological Survey of India (GSI):  To conduct geological study of land selected for land survey and rehabilitation of affected area in Joshimath.

    7. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB): Will ascertain the direction and position of spring water and its flow below the ground. 

    8. Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS): The ground movement of Joshimath is constantly being monitored. The institute will submit the final report to the government in three months.

    DEHRADUN: Joshimath, an ancient town adjacent to the border district, which has been hit by a natural disaster, is finding it difficult to recover from this crisis at the moment.

    In a major revelation, scientists have found that a large part of Joshimath, which is facing land sinking issues, has become hollow. “A huge amount of soil has been washed away with water. So far, cracks ranging from 40 to 50 meters deep have been found inside the ground at about 460 places.” 

    Disaster management officials believe that in such a situation, 30 percent of the area affected by landslides can collapse at any time. Therefore, there is no option but to immediately displace the nearly 4000 affected people settled in this area.” Buildings with cracks will have to be demolished soon.

    On the other hand, Joshimath residents took out a huge public awareness rally on Friday against the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) project. Hundreds of disaster-hit people, including traders, took to the streets and raised slogans of ‘NTPC go back, go back’. There was also anger against the government, the road leading to NTPC township from TCP Bazar was tightly guarded by the police in view of security. The area of the NTPC project office has been converted into a cantonment due to security reasons.

    The National Institute of Hydrology team has found in its findings that, “Land submergence in Joshimath gradually increased on the night of January 2. Meanwhile, muddy water started seeping from the hilly area behind the JP company’s residential colony, which still remains a puzzle for administrative officials and scientists”.

    In the last 23 days, about 2,21,40 thousand liters of water has leaked inside the ground. This amount of water is equivalent to a large lake.

    The most shocking report on water leakage is from the National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad. The report says, “Joshimath’s sloping mountain is built on a pile of debris, the soil that was covered with stones has been washed away in the water. The lower part of the stones has become hollow. Therefore, the ability to bear loads is gradually disappearing”. At the same time, CBRI has seen three sites for displacement.

    ALSO READ | Rehabilitation a difficult task for Joshimath administration, even the affected not unanimous

    This has been revealed from the preliminary report of the central investigating agencies. The report has been submitted to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). According to sources, the NDMA has already made a presentation in the Union Home Ministry on Wednesday. Scientists believe that after the final report of the investigation, the picture of Joshimath can be more ‘frightening’. Because sooner or later the entire Joshimath will be hit by it.

    According to sources, the survey found that there are 2500 houses in the land submergence area, in which 4000 people living are affected. At the same time, 30 percent of the buildings with cracks have been recommended to be demolished immediately. While it has also been suggested to explore the possibility of retrofitting the rest of the buildings. 

    The government is giving top importance to the opinion of scientists as well as the interests of the affected, a detailed blueprint is being prepared for this,” the state cabinet and minister in charge of Joshimath, Dr Dhan Singh Rawat, told The New Indian Express.

    “The government is fully sensitive to setting up new cities and compensation for the displaced and they will be rehabilitated as per the opinion of the affected people.”

    Departments and institutes involved in saving Joshimath

    1. Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) has been assigned for the construction of pre-fabricated model buildings for temporary rehabilitation, inspection of broken buildings as well as demolition.

    2. The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology: Seismology Geophysical Analysis as well as the Geophysical Survey are to submit their final report to the institute in two months.

    3. IIT Roorkee: A geotechnical survey is being conducted at Joshimath by IIT Roorkee. In this study, the scientists of the institute will find out what is the position of soil and stones in the geology of Joshimath. What is its load bearing capacity.

    4. NGRI, Hyderabad: A geological map up to a depth of 30 to 50 meters in Joshimath will be prepared with geophysical and geotechnical survey work. It has to submit its final report to the government in three weeks.

    5. National Institute of Hydrology (NIH): Conducting hydrological surveys in the affected area. The institute team will prepare a complete map of the water flowing in the ground here.

    6. Geological Survey of India (GSI):  To conduct geological study of land selected for land survey and rehabilitation of affected area in Joshimath.

    7. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB): Will ascertain the direction and position of spring water and its flow below the ground. 

    8. Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS): The ground movement of Joshimath is constantly being monitored. The institute will submit the final report to the government in three months.

  • Rehabilitation a difficult task for Joshimath administration, even the affected not unanimous

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: Rehabilitation of Joshimath City, which was affected due to the land submergence disaster, has become a big challenge for the government. While the government has not yet been able to prepare a paper account of rehabilitation, displacement, and the affected are also not unanimous. While some people are talking about one-time settlement, many people do not want to leave their ancestral homes associated with their old memories.

    According to an official in revenue department, as many as 269 families in the land submergence-hit area have been shifted to relief camps set up at various places. These affected people are also worried about their future.

    Vinita Sundariyal, Rekha Joshi, Ranjana Negi, Anju Khanduri, Sushma Sati, Sarita Sati, Sarita Chamoli, Rekha Namboori, Jyoti Nautiyal and many more say that the government should assess the house, farm and give compensation on the lines of Badrinath so that they can settle their land in lump sum.

    Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana told The New Indian Express on Sunday, quoting the District Disaster Management Authority, “863 buildings in 9 wards of Joshimath Nagar area have been affected. Of these, 181 buildings have been kept in unsafe areas. The district administration has so far temporarily displaced 925 members of 275 families to various safer places due to security reasons”.

    District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana also inspected the land identified in dhaka village for the displacement of disaster-affected people on the spot, he said, “Two meetings have been held with the committee regarding the security, rehabilitation, displacement of Joshimath. The committee has given some suggestions under which paper documents are also being prepared. Along with this, their suggestions are also being taken from the affected public representatives”.

    People living in Joshimath for decades also say, “Displacement of Joshimath affected by landslides is not easy. It is India’s border town bordering China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is also describing border towns, villages as the first village”. Also, the government plans to develop these areas in the tourism sector. In such a situation, displacement elsewhere in Joshimath would mean the destructionof the city, which is not good for strategic and security as well as social infrastructure.

    DEHRADUN: Rehabilitation of Joshimath City, which was affected due to the land submergence disaster, has become a big challenge for the government. While the government has not yet been able to prepare a paper account of rehabilitation, displacement, and the affected are also not unanimous. While some people are talking about one-time settlement, many people do not want to leave their ancestral homes associated with their old memories.

    According to an official in revenue department, as many as 269 families in the land submergence-hit area have been shifted to relief camps set up at various places. These affected people are also worried about their future.

    Vinita Sundariyal, Rekha Joshi, Ranjana Negi, Anju Khanduri, Sushma Sati, Sarita Sati, Sarita Chamoli, Rekha Namboori, Jyoti Nautiyal and many more say that the government should assess the house, farm and give compensation on the lines of Badrinath so that they can settle their land in lump sum.

    Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana told The New Indian Express on Sunday, quoting the District Disaster Management Authority, “863 buildings in 9 wards of Joshimath Nagar area have been affected. Of these, 181 buildings have been kept in unsafe areas. The district administration has so far temporarily displaced 925 members of 275 families to various safer places due to security reasons”.

    District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana also inspected the land identified in dhaka village for the displacement of disaster-affected people on the spot, he said, “Two meetings have been held with the committee regarding the security, rehabilitation, displacement of Joshimath. The committee has given some suggestions under which paper documents are also being prepared. Along with this, their suggestions are also being taken from the affected public representatives”.

    People living in Joshimath for decades also say, “Displacement of Joshimath affected by landslides is not easy. It is India’s border town bordering China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is also describing border towns, villages as the first village”. Also, the government plans to develop these areas in the tourism sector. In such a situation, displacement elsewhere in Joshimath would mean the destruction
    of the city, which is not good for strategic and security as well as social infrastructure.