METEOROLOGICAL REPORTS PREDICT MODERATE AND HEAVY SNOWFALL AND RAINS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF UKHAND including Joshimath !
ALREADY in doldrums the condition of Joshimath is likely to worsen in the coming days especially after the weather reports of the Meteorological department at Dehradun predicting in its remarks after the conclusion of the report as : SNOW DEPTH LIKELY TO INCREASE GRADUALLY FROM 23 RD TO 27 JANUARY , 2023 AT PLACES WITH HEIGHT 3000 METRES AND ABOVE AND REACH BETWEEN 4 TO 6 FEET AND AT PLACES WITH HEIGHT 2500 METRES BETWEEN 2 TO 4 FEET AND AT PLACES WITH HEIGH 2200 METRES TO 2500 METRES BETWEEN 1 TO 2 FEET. Kindly recall that Joshimath is situated at the height of more than 6000 feet and more than 900 houses and four major hotels including several other buildings, land beneath and roads including site on which the heavy pillars of the Auli trolley have been founded etc have developed several wide cracks.
The heavy snowfall as predicted will further add to the woes of the inhabitants of Joshimath which is on a sinking mode say geologists.
According to the weather warning report sent from Meteorological Department Dehradun on 24 th and 25 th January heavy rains and snow will occur at few places in Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Pithoragarh districts including at isolated places of Dehradun, Tehri, Rudraprayag and Bageshwar districts of Uttarakhand.
The report also predicts about thunderstorms accompanied by intense showers, lightening and hail at some places of Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar districts of Uttarakhand on 23 rd, 26 th and 27 th January, 2023.
The government has been cautioned to take all the necessary actions to clear the snow through deployment of ice clearing machines on major scale including warning people above 2200 metres travelling on roads to be cautious as snow will cover majority of roads.
The situation in Joshimath already inflicted with cracks on land, houses n buildings in more cumbersome due to massive rains and snow fall that is expected on 24 th and 25 th January.
Acording to the report of regional meteorological centre – Auli, which is situated 12 kilometre ahead of the gateway township to Badrinath n Hemkunt Sahib Joshimath, will be receiving 4 to 6 feet snow while Joshimath may acknowledge 250 MM altogether in the coming five days ahead.
The Director of the regional meteorological centre Bikram Singh says that from 23 rd to 27 th January there will be heavy to moderate snowfall at the higher reaches with lower lying areas observing rainfall.
It is quite obvious that the heavy rainfall will further add to the already worse situation of displaced n disturbed populace of Joshimath and the rain water will seep into the cracks further widening them and enhancing the subsidence.
The more the rain, the more possibility of water going inside the cracks making subsidence more dangerous making the already worrisome situation more worse.
The only solution to ease the present situation is to ensure evacuation of the inhabitants of Joshimath to safer places on massive scale.
However, the Dharna of the displaced people demanding immediate closure of the ongoing NTPC Hydropower Tapovan Vishnugad Project continues having already threatened to lock it on 26 th January.
