Given the land subsidence situation in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath, the next month’s International Alpine Race in the neighbouring hill station, Auli, has been cancelled. Here are the details.
The situation in Joshimath is worsening by the day, and authorities state that conducting the ski event — an International Ski Federation (FIS) graded tournament — in Auli on February 6 and 7, will not be possible any longer.
International ski event in Auli cancelled — here are the details
The state government declared over 600 houses in Joshimath unsafe and evacuated many citizens since the cracks began to appear in early January. Auli, which is just about seven kilometres from Joshimath, is also facing troubles, as the ropeway service between the two towns has been lying suspended since January 5.
Keeping all this in mind, the local organisers of the event wrote to the FIS, requesting the cancellation of the event. According to The Tribune, there are three reasons that led to this decision — first, the possibility of negative news coverage due to a mishap, which can be avoided if the event is not conducted. The second reason is that there’s not enough snow on the slopes, which makes the venue not ideal for an international tournament. The final reason is that the ropeway service, which used to take tourists and skiing enthusiasts from Joshimath to Auli, is yet to be resumed. The Tribune quoted Roop Chand Negi, Ski and Snowboard India Secretary General, as saying, “We were worried about bad publicity, so we informed FIS on January 16 that the tournament should not happen here.”
Media reports state that there is still hope of hosting the Senior Alpine and National Championships in Auli next month. The ski event, which will begin on February 23, is likely to get all the necessary clearances, and this could help bring in more tourists as well as athletes to the much-loved region once again.
Hero and Featured Image Credit: Aniket Mandish/Unsplash
Related: Discover The Ultimate Skiing Destination Of India: Top Things To Do In Auli
Anushka Goel
Digital Features Writer
Anushka has previously worked with publications such as the Times of India and Being Indian. A graduate from Xavier Institute of Communications, she specialises in entertainment, food and travel. She also likes to write about sustainability and beauty. When not working, you can catch her reading a book, tending to her plants, cooking or playing an instrument.
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