Uttarakhand: Activist Calls For Better Disaster Management Response, Demands Data Transparency on Joshimath

In the aftermath of fresh cracks which were observed in January in Joshimath town which is situated in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, environment activists have highlighted the key events and developments which unfolded in the area in the month of May. A collaborative group of environmental activists also called for better disaster management in the state.

In its monthly report titled as Uttarakhand Disaster & Accident Synopsis, Dehradun-based Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation cited media reports which mention that the land in Joshimath can move by 20 metres to 21 metres in the event of an earthquake with a magnitude of six on the Richter scale.

“That Uttarakhand itself is an extremely disaster prone state is no surprise to anybody. What we need is to have a far better disaster management strategy and response in the event of any unfortunate event. Also, there is a serious issue of lack of transparency of data when it comes to ecologically sensitive locations,” Anoop Nautiyal, founder of SDC Foundation told Gaon Connection.

Also Read: Uttarakhand: Sinking of land aggravates in Joshimath; houses on verge of collapsing, protests erupt

“Even if you talk about the fresh crack which surfaced in Joshimath in January this year, the report which the government has prepared is not out in the public domain. We have to depend on media reports, research articles and studies to assess the situation on the ground,” Nautiyal added.

Vipin Kumar, assistant professor at the department of geology, Doon University, who has come up with the research mentioning that Joshimath could move by 20 metres-21 metres due to an earthquake, was quoted as saying in the report that Joshimath is located in the Main Central Thrust (MCT) area which has a high probability of an earthquake.

Kumar was quoted as stating in the report that Joshimath is located in the Main Central Thrust (MCT) area and there is a high probability of an earthquake.

According to the report, around 132 families were staying in state-run shelters in Joshimath till the end of April, 2023. Most of them were initially asked to vacate these shelters which included government buildings, hotels and homestays by April 30.

It cited a news report which mentioned a study conducted by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) that has found that the Tungnath temple, the world’s highest Shiva temple which faces north and is located at an altitude of 12,800 feet in Rudraprayag district is tilting by around five to six degrees and the smaller structures in the complex by 10 degrees.

“ASI officials informed TOI [a media organisation] that they have apprised the central government about the findings and suggested that the shrine be included as a protected monument. The government has started the process of declaring it as a monument of national importance and issued a notification seeking objections from the public as a matter of procedure,” it mentioned.

Also Read: The Sinking Feeling in Joshimath

“The protest aimed to amplify their long standing demands, which include the rehabilitation of all affected families, the cancellation of NTPC’s [National Thermal Power Corporations Tapovan Vishnugad hydel project, and the Helang Marwari bypass project,” it mentioned.

Meanwhile, the report also underlined that the Nainital district administration has banned tourist visits to Tiffin Top for safety reasons after the site developed cracks. Tiffin Top is situated at a height of 2,290 metres and is a favourite amongst tourists as it provides a panoramic view of Himalayan peaks.

With inputs from Pratyaksh Srivastava in Lucknow