When asked what his assessment of the steps that the government has taken, Harish Rawat, the former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, said, "The situation is very worrying. When I went there I met with the Sangharsh Samiti members and put forth a clear charter of demands in front of the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister has followed our suggestion of building confidence in the people by staying overnight and talking to the people of Joshimath. I am happy to see the government is working on our suggestion to establish a new, second Joshimath close-by."
