HC asks state govt to formulate robust plan for subsidence-hit Joshimath

The Uttarakhand High Court asked the state government on Thursday to formulate a robust plan for subsidence-hit Joshimath town in Chamoli district.

Hearing a PIL on the crisis, a division bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Alok Kumar Verma directed the government to form a committee of independent experts to look into the matter.

The court said the committee must include Disaster Management Authority CEO Piyush Rautela and Executive Director, Space Application Centre, MPS Bisht.

The committee will submit its report to the court in a sealed envelope within two months, the bench said.

The court also directed that an order banning construction activities in the areas surrounding Joshimath be passed immediately.

Joshimath, the gateway to famous pilgrimage centres, such as Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib, and international skiing destination Auli, is facing a major challenge due to land subsidence.

A total of 169 families living in the town have so far been shifted to relief centres.