An unstable house with cracks in Joshimath marked with an “X” as a warning for residents to leave it immediately. (Photo via Twitter)
New Delhi: The chief of the Indian Army, General Manoj Pande, said some troops deployed in Uttarakhand’s sinking Joshimath area have been moved to the nearby heights and, if needed, they would be permanently moved to Auli, some 40 kilometres from the town. He also said the subsidence has had no effect on the Army’s preparedness. Gen Pande said this during the Army chief’s traditional annual news conference in New Delhi, on Thursday.
The Himalayan town of Joshimath comes under Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. It is of high religious and strategic significance. The town is a gateway to the Hindu pilgrimage of Badrinath and Sikh pilgrimage of Sri Hemkund Sahib. It falls under the middle sector and is less than 150 kilometres from the line of actual control (LAC) with China.
The town has an Army cantonment and is the permanent station of the Garhwal Scouts – the scout battalion of the Garhwal Rifles. It also houses the Indian Army’s 9 (Independent) Mountain Brigade, which is responsible for the LAC in that sector.
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The town was badly hit during the 2013 Uttarakhand floods.
The town has been gradually sinking over the past several years. However, after an underground natural aquifer burst during an engineering project, the town went into rapid subsidence resulting in the development of long and deep cracks in buildings and roads. This made them unstable and dangerous. This prompted the government to launch an evacuation mission and many families and business owners in the town have been asked to leave immediately.
Replying to a reporter’s question on the possible impact on the Army’s operational preparedness due to sinking, Gen Pande said, “We remain prepared to relocate more units if required, but our operational preparedness remains intact. There has been no impact to our readiness.”
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On Joshimath’s damaged and cracked roads, he said that minor cracks and damages have been reported and the Border Roads Organization has been working to repair them.
Replying to a question on the main axis to Mana – the last Indian village on the Indian side of the LAC in the sector, Gen Pande said, “No major damage has been reported on it.” He also said the Army has offered its resources like helipads, hospitals, and shelters to civil administration for relief and evacuation purposes.
The Supreme Court, on January 6, will hear a plea seeking stoppage of construction of a hydroelectric project in Joshimath. Many experts have opined that the reckless construction work and developmental activities in the fragile mountains has caused this grim situation in the area.
