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AMN

Joshimath in Uttarakhand has been declared a disaster-prone area and construction activities have been banned in the town and nearby areas.

This was stated by the District Magistrate of Chamoli Himanshu Khurana today. He said, two central teams, including one from the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, will arrive in Joshimath shortly.

According to the Chamoli District Disaster Management Authority, 603 buildings in Joshimath town have developed cracks so far. A total of 68 families have been ‘temporarily’ displaced, officials said.

The administration has also ordered an immediate evacuation of residents from areas prone to excessive landslides and deemed unsafe. In the Joshimath city area, 229 rooms have been temporarily identified as habitable, with the capacity estimated at 1271. The work of identifying the places affected by landslides is in progress and the vulnerable families are being temporarily shifted to safer places, officials said.