SNOW FALLING ADDS TO THE WOES OF DISPLACED JOSHIMATH POPULACE !

Though the meterological department in Dehradun and regional weather department has predicted heavy snowfall n rains in Carolina and other districts of Uttarakhand the snowfall started on 20 th January early morning with Joshimath under its chilly cold impact with 4 degree celcius temperature on Friday morning. According to the Dehradun meterological department report there can be heavy snowfall and rains in several districts of Uttarakhand from 24 to 27 th January with Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Tehri, Rudraprayag, and Bageshwar including Pauri Garhwal facing rains and snow fall on 24 and 25. January. Joshimath which is already facing cracks in more than 900 houses including four hotels and several buildings n roads n also under Auli Ropeway would be in more doldrum after the snowfall and rains as the widening gaps in cracks will accept maximum water that will seep inside these cracks and the land adding to the woes of the Joshimath populace who are being evacuated and majority of them staging Dharna against the NPC hydropower project. Till now, in Joshimath abot 270 families have been filly evacuated the number of which has come to about 900 persons including children. According to news reports maximum houses numbering 161 have developed cracks followed by 154 house in Gandhi Nagar n Singhdwar Ward etc. The chief minister Pushkar Singh Shame was in Delhi yesterday meeting the home minister Amit Shah who was acquainted of the latest situation in Joshimath with centre assuring of all possible assistance. A high level meeting was earlier held in Delhi convened by Principal Secretary to PM. Mr. Mishra to expedite the relief and evacuation works in Joshimath with the CM announcing an initial relief financial package of Rs. 1.50 lakhs to every displaced family of Joshimath. After the snowfall n rains to follow with 4 to 6 feet snow likely to fall in Joshimath and all areas above 2300 to 3000 feet, the Joshimath township n its populace is likely to suffer the most especially after the subsidence enhancing day by day and cracks widening – mass evacuation by the government authorities NDMA and SDMA is the only solution currently to safer and warm places with full medical arrangements as majority of the people are ill, likely to fall ill, senior citizens with critical illnesses and several pregnant women requiring urgent medical support including food items for sustenance etc. Meanwhile in a social media post the leader of Joshimath Bachao Sang harsh Samittee Atul Joshi said that since now a feet snow has stagnated in the holy tow since morning the level likely to go up now the seepage of water inside the cracks in more than 900 houses is bound to widen leading to more and more risk to the lives of the occupants though 600 families have been evacuated from the dangerous houses with lots of cracks. He added that now since the drains and internal water sources will be recharged massively after heavy snowfall the process of subsidence will increase manifold leading to more sinking of the holy town. He requested the authorities to immediately evacuate maximum people to safer destinations as according to Sati the situation is bound to exaggerate further. Meanwhile according to a latest satellite imagery report of Joshimath , a fresh analysis carried out by remote sensing and and landslides specialists of National Centre for Scientific Research a French state research establishment between 2018 and 2022 the eastern part of Joshimath witnessed a maximum subsidence of average day s placement of 10 cms per year, indeed a very distressing trend reiterating what the ISRO had said as per HT news of 20 th January.