Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], May 4 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday announced that the Central government has approved Rs 1,700 crore disaster relief package for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Joshimath, which has been grappling with severe land subsidence since early 2023.

Speaking to reporters, CM Dhami recalled that around 20 per cent of Joshimath town was affected by land subsidence in February 2023, resulting in widespread cracks in homes, roads, and buildings.

'Many agencies from both the central and state governments were involved in the assessment... A detailed survey report was submitted, following which we appealed to the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister. Now, Rs 1,700 crore has been approved for sewerage, reconstruction, and waterlogging mitigation,' he said.

The Chief Minister further informed that the first installment of Rs 292 crore under the package was released. 'I express my gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister for their support,' he added.

Joshimath, a key gateway for pilgrims heading to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib, grabbed national attention last year when hundreds of houses developed cracks, forcing residents to evacuate and raising concerns over the town's stability. Experts have attributed the sinking to unplanned development, tunnelling activities, and natural factors such as fragile geology.

The state government had declared parts of Joshimath as disaster-affected zones, halting construction activities and launching temporary relief measures. With the release of central funds, the focus is shifting towards long-term solutions, including slope stabilisation and infrastructure rehabilitation.

The Chief Minister emphasized that the funds would be used judiciously to restore public confidence and safeguard the livelihoods of the affected population.

It is known that on January 2, 2023, large cracks started appearing in many houses and the infrastructure of Joshimath due to land subsidence. About 22 per cent of the structures located in Joshimath town were affected by this.

Following this, CM Dhami immediately held a meeting with the top government officials and inquired about the situation. On the Chief Minister's instructions, senior government officials visited the area.

'On the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, a 35-member team consisting of experts from NDMA, USDMM, IIT Roorkee, UNDP, CBRI, Wadia Institute, NIDM, and other agencies visited Joshimath during the fourth week of April 2023 to conduct PDNA (Post Disaster Need Assessment). During the visit, the area-wise damage assessment was done for housing and rehabilitation, health and education, civic amenities including drinking water and sanitation, local level infrastructure like roads and bridges, disaster risk reduction and recovery and reconstruction plans,' an official release said on Saturday.

In the sequence of the inspection report given by the experts regarding the Joshimath landslide as above, the High Level Committee (HLC) approved financial assistance for work to be carried out in various sectors for recovery and reconstruction activities in Joshimath town and surrounding area.

'The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority proposed to start various projects to prevent land subsidence in Joshimath town and provide better facilities to the residents of the city. Initially, it is planned to undertake projects to stabilize unstable areas and improve the drainage and sewerage system of the town. These activities will improve the stability of the ground, thereby providing strong land for building. It will also help in undertaking various activities related to demolition and reconstruction of houses and infrastructure,' the release read.

The projects in the first phase include Toe Protection works along the Alaknanda river, Slope Stabilization measures, Water and Sanitation. DPR on these aspects has been prepared by Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority and submitted to National Disaster Management Authority, for sanctioning grants. The proposed projects were later submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs. (ANI)