Joshimath has been making news for all the wrong reasons lately. In the aftermath of the satellite images from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) that showed the rapid rate of subsidence in Joshimath between Dec 27 and January 8, it appears that the Uttarakhand government and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) have been taking ‘necessary precautions’.

The NDMA and the Uttarakhand government have directed all state-run institutions, including ISRO, not to interact with the media or share information on social media on the situation in Joshimath without prior approval. This is in an effort to ensure that the information that is shared is accurate and reliable.

Whether this decision was taken in response to the satellite images is unclear, but it has led to confusion and raised eyebrows. ISRO’s satellite images had certainly raised concerns among the locals, with many believing that the situation in the region was far worse than what the government had initially reported.