Joshimath crisis: Uttarakhand government announces Rs 5,000 for owners, power bills waived off

The Uttarakhand government announced on Friday that property owners in 'sinking' Joshimath will receive Rs 5,000 for rental purposes, and their power bills will be waived for six months beginning in November 2022. During a state Cabinet meeting, key decisions on the Joshimath land subsidence issue were made, including a nod to geological study.

Joshimath is clearly on the verge of disaster, as more and more houses have developed cracks, forcing residents to relocate to government-run relief camps.

Selang, Pipalkoti, Gauchar, Dhak, and Kotifarm have been chosen as new relocations. Within a week, the Union government will receive the finalised interim relief package for the impacted families. The MNREGA scheme will provide funds to two members of each displaced family on a daily basis.

Cabinet ministers will contribute their entire month's pay to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund in order to help the people of the sinking town.

Hotel or resort guests will receive Rs 950 per day per room. The state government will also provide each person staying in a relief camp with Rs 450 per day.

Affected families will receive Rs 15,000 for their livestock, with Rs 80 for large animals and Rs 45 for small animals.

One year of relief will be provided to those taking out loans from cooperative banks. Additionally, the state government of Uttarakhand has stated that it will write to the federal government to request that all government and private banks offer aid to impacted families for a full year.

Joshimath, according to satellite images released by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), sank at a rapid rate of 5.4 cm in just 12 days, triggered by a possible subsidence event on January 2. Land subsidence is posing a serious problem for Joshimath, which serves as a gateway to popular pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib as well as the popular international skiing resort of Auli.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah assessed the situation in Joshimath and steps taken to alleviate people's hardships at a meeting attended by Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, R K Singh, Bhupendra Yadav, and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, as well as top officials, on Thursday.

So far, 169 families with a total of 589 members have been relocated to relief centres. In Joshimath and Pipalkoti, there are 835 rooms serving as relief centres, with a total capacity of 3,630 people.

So far, 42 affected families have received interim assistance totaling Rs 1.5 lakh. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Thursday that a committee would determine the market rate for compensation to be paid to Joshimath families while keeping stakeholders' interests in mind.

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