In the wake of panic gripping Joshimath, the Prime Minister's Office intervenes to evaluate the situation in the 'sinking town' in Uttarakhand. The PMO will hold a high-level meeting on the Joshimath crisis on Sunday afternoon.
Around 600 families are affected by the landslides developing huge cracks in houses and roads in several places.
According to an official statement, P K Mishra, the principal secretary to the prime minister, will hold the review meeting with the cabinet secretary, other senior officials of the central government and members of the National Disaster Management Authority.
District officials of Joshimath besides senior officials of Uttarakhand will also attend the review meeting through video-conferencing.
On Saturday, Uttrakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had visited Joshimath to assess the situation on the ground. He had directed to immediate evacuate around 600 affected families.
Dhami said Joshimath is an important place from the cultural, religious and tourism point of view and all efforts will be made to save it.
Joshimath, the gateway to famous pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib and international skiing destination Auli, is facing a major challenge due to land subsidence.
Meanwhile, 11 more families in Joshimath was moved to safe locations on Saturday as the number of houses developing cracks in the sinking town rose to 603.
According to disaster management officer Chamoli district, N K Joshi, the number of families who have so far been evacuated stands at 65 with another 11 moving to temporary relief camps on Saturday.
Recently, a plea was filed by Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati in the Supreme Court seeking the crisis in Joshimath to be declared as a national disaster. He has also sought financial assistance and compensation to the people as well.
Meanwhile, the residents of Joshimath are upset with the fact that the government has ignored the warning signs earlier. However, CM Dhami has assured the residents that they will be shifted to safer places before any mishap happens.
--With PTI inputs