Amit Shah-led high-level committee approves reconstruction plan for Joshimath

A high-level committee headed by Union home minister Amit Shah, has approved the recovery and reconstruction (R&R) plan of ₹1,658 crore for Joshimath, which was affected by landslide and ground subsidence.

Under the R&R plan, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday, ₹1079.96 crore of central assistance will be provided from recovery and reconstruction the window of the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

The state government will provide ₹126.41 crore from its State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) towards relief assistance and will provide ₹451.80 crore from its state budget, including land acquisition cost for resettlement of ₹91.82 crore, it said.

“The recovery plan for Joshimath would be implemented in three years, following the best practices, Build Back Better (BBB) principles, sustainability initiatives”, the MHA said.

“Thereafter, Joshimath will emerge as an excellent example of ecological sustainability”.

Joshimath has been affected by landslides and ground subsidence since November last year, leading to 868 residential buildings and other structures developing cracks. Of these, 181 were declared unsafe.

The Centre, MHA said, has extended all necessary technical and logistical support to the state Government.

“Under the leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all technical agencies under the guidance of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) were put into action and they helped thestate government in preparing the recovery plan for Joshimath expeditiously,” the MHA statement said.

Nine technical reports of central government institutions on Joshimath show how geological instability, rampant development (over 4200 buildings) and traffic-induced vibrations may have contributed to the development of cracks and ground fissures in the holy town located on ancient landslide residue in Chamoli district, HT reported in September.

The reports were commissioned by the state and the central governments to understand different aspects of sudden emergence of cracks in the town between November 2022 and January 2023.