Following Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)’s revealing images that proved that a slow subsidence of 8.9 cm was recorded over a period of seven months at Joshimath, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has cautioned government bodies against talking to media.
The Uttarakhand government and the NDMA has asked over a dozen government agencies and experts to refrain from talking to media about the Joshimath land subsidence without permission.
The NDMA said people associated with them should not interact with the media and share data on social media regarding the ground subsidence in Joshimath, where cracks have developed in buildings and other infrastructure.
The statements on Joshimath are creating confusion not only among affected residents but also among citizens of the country, the NDMA said.
It said the issue was highlighted during a meeting convened by the central government on January 12 and subsequently discussed at a meeting led by the NDMA on the same day.
The NDMA said an expert group has been formed for assessment of the ground subsidence in Joshimath in Uttarakhand.
The NDMA asked the organisations to sensitise its experts about the matter and added they should refrain from posting anything on media platforms until the final report of the expert group is released by the NDMA.
In a similar communication, the Uttarakhand government conveyed to the organisations that some of the institutions and agencies are publishing and uploading the information or reports about Joshimath without taking due permission from the competent authorities that is adversely impacting the ground situation as well as triggering panic among the community.
The Uttarakhand government said the ground subsidence around Joshimath has aggravated and the authorities are taking all necessary measures for the safety of habitation in the affected areas.
The state government has deployed team of experts from various scientific and technical institutions to assess the situation and providing the mitigation measures of the town.
The media is also propagating this blatantly, it said.
The communication said the organisations, before publishing or uploading any such reports or information, should obtain prior approval either from the respective central ministries or the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority.
The NDMA directive has gone to the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee, Geological Survey of India (GSI), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the ISRO, Hyderabad, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), New Delhi, Surveyor General of India, Dehradun and Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun.
The communication has also been sent to the National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, National Institute of Disaster Management, New Delhi, Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority.
The Uttarakhand government sent the communication to the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Uttarakhand Space Application Centre, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, National Geophysical Research Institute, Central Building Research Institute, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the ISRO and National Seismological Centre, Dehradun.
(With inputs from PTI)
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