Centre approves Rs 1,658 crore recovery plan for Joshimath | India News


NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday approved a Rs 1,658-crore recovery and reconstruction plan for Joshimath in Uttarakhand, which had been in the news earlier this year following ground subsidence and evacuation of hundreds of residents from affected areas to shelter homes.
“The recovery plan for Joshimath will be implemented in three years, following the best practices, building back better (BBB) principles, and sustainability initiatives, to make the hill town emerge as an excellent example of ecological sustainability,” said a home ministry spokesperson.
Several houses were demolished following incidents of landslides and cracks appearing in houses in Joshimath. The home ministry had set up a high-level committee and initiated seismic monitoring to evaluate geological and developmental tremors in the region. Simultaneously, efforts were made to map drainage, springs, local water table, source identification and sub-surface flow of water.
“The high-level committee, under the chairmanship of union home minister Amit Shah, approved the recovery and reconstruction plan of Rs 1,658 crore for Joshimath, which includes Rs 1,080 crore of central assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and Rs 126 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF),” the government said. The cost of land acquisition and resettlement Rs 452 crore will come from the state budget.
The Centre has extended necessary technical and logistical support to the state and multiple agencies led by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) were part of the high-level committee to help the state in preparing a recovery plan for Joshimath.