Joshimath latest updates: Demolition begins today, SC refuses urgent hearing; top 7 points

Authorities at Joshimath will start demolishing hotels and houses that have developed cracks due to land subsidence. As part of the demolition drive, two hotels in Uttarakhand's Joshimath - Hotel Malari Inn and Hotel Mount View - and several houses will be razed on Tuesday.

According to reports, people located in proximity to the demolition site have been evacuated.

The number of subsidence-affected homes rose to 678 while 27 more families were evacuated to safety, the Disaster Management Authority in Chamoli said. It added that so far 82 families have been shifted to safe locations in the town.

Here are the latest updates on Uttarakhand's Joshimath --

1. The demolition drive, which is set to begin on Tuesday, will reportedly be carried out by experts from the Central Building Research Institute in Roorkee, along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) which is ready to assist if needed.

2. The holy town of Joshimath has been divided into three zones, 'Danger', 'Buffer', and 'Completely Safe', based on the magnitude of danger from land subsidence or the sinking or settling of the ground surface.

3. Chamoli District Manager Himanshu Khurana has said that buildings marked unsafe will be demolished in a scientific manner. "The hotels and houses affected by the landslide and subsidence have been identified. Buildings in the unsafe zone have been vacated and civilians are also being shifted from the buffer zone in its vicinity," he told ANI.

4. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court declined an urgent hearing of the plea relating to the Joshimath sinking incident. A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha said there are democratically elected institutions to look into the issue, as it posted the hearing for January 16, as per ANI.

5. The plea was filed by Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, a religious leader, who contended that the current situation in the hilly town of Joshimath  occurred due to large-scale industrialisation and sought immediate financial assistance and compensation to the people of Uttarakhand.

6. The plea has also sought direction from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to actively support the Joshimath residents in this challenging time, as per an India Today report. "No development is needed at the cost of human life and their ecosystem and if any such thing is to happen, then it is the duty of the State and Union government to stop the same immediately at war level," the plea of the Seer said.

7. The district administration has put red cross marks on more than 200 houses in the sinking town that are unsafe for living.

Joshimath, which is the gateway to Badrinath, Hemkund Sahib and skiing destination Auli, is on the verge of collapse after cracks have developed in houses and roads in the city. The Government has initiated rescue efforts such as temporary relocation, rental assistance, among others.

Also Read: Joshimath 'sinking': Cracks observed in 678 homes; Central team to submit report today