PM Modi to Hold High-Level Meet on 'Sinking' Joshimath Town in Uttarakhand

A high-level meeting has been summoned by the Prime Minister's office over the Joshimath crisis, wherein officials had to evict hundreds of residents from their homes after various buildings cracked owing to shifting soil.

Joshimath is a renowned pilgrimage and tourism destination, situated in the northern state of Uttarakhand.

The review meeting would be held with the cabinet secretary, other senior central government officials, and members of the National Disaster Management Authority, according to an official statement from PK Mishra, the prime minister's principal secretary.

Concerned officials from Uttarakhand and district officials from Joshimath will also participate in the review meet through video conferencing.

Meanwhile, the National Remote Sensing Centre and the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing have been asked by the Uttarakhand government to research Joshimath using satellite pictures and submit a thorough report with images.

The Geological Survey of India has also been asked to determine whether or not some places in the Semaldala region of Joshimath and Pipalkoti are suitable for rehabilitation.

Previously, the chief minister of Uttrakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami visited Joshimath on Saturday to examine the situation there and he subsequently ordered the immediate evacuation of about 600 affected households.

Dhami stressed the significance of Joshimath from the viewpoints of culture, religion, and tourism and said that every effort would be taken to preserve it. In order to speed up relief and rescue activities, he has also accelerated relief operations and established a committee to only authorize disaster management-related activity in Joshimath.

Long-term large-scale construction projects, such as hydroelectric projects, in and near Joshimath have raised concerns among experts that they may cause land subsidence or the sinking or settling of the ground surface.

Joshimath, a town of around 17,000 inhabitants, is a starting point for pilgrimages to Hindu and Sikh sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib. It is also a favorite destination for those who want to trek through some of the Himalayas or go skiing in Auli.