After ISRO images, NDMA cautions agencies against releasing Joshimath findings
NDMA has asked government institutions to refrain from sharing any details related to their findings on Joshimath land subsidence till an ‘integrated’ final report is submitted by the expert group
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has asked all the government institutions involved in rescue and relief work as well as studying the causes and impact of Joshimath land subsidence incident to refrain from sharing any details related to their findings till an “integrated” final report is submitted by the expert group on the subject, people familiar with the development said on Saturday.
The development came a day after an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) report was released saying that Uttarakhand’s Joshimath sank 5.4 cm in just 12 days.
The Centre has already formed a team of experts from the NDMA,Geological Survey of India, IIT Roorkee, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, National Institute of Hydrology and Central Building Research Institute to study and give recommendations on the situation in Joshimath.
In an office memorandum issued on Friday evening, the NDMA said - “It is observed that various government institutions are releasing data related to the subject matter in social media platform and also they are interacting with media with their own interpretation of the situation. It is creating confusion not only among affected residents but also among citizens of the country. The issue was highlighted during a meeting chaired by Honorable Union Home Minister (Amit Shah) on January 12, 2023,” it said.
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Asserting that an expert group is already looking into the incident, NDMA has asked the departments concerned to avoid sharing details on social media or interact with media.
“You are requested to sensitize your organization about this matter and refrain from posting anything on the media platform until the final report of the expert group is released by NDMA,” the NDMA letter added.
A senior NDMA official, requesting anonymity, said - “It is just a precautionary letter to convey that sharing details separately can create confusion and panic among residents in Joshimath area. We must wait for final report of the expert group to know what happened”.
Following the NDMA letter, the ISRO report has been removed from its website.