The ‘sinking’ city has been declared a disaster-prone zone
Joshimath/New Delhi:
The buildings which have developed cracks and were badly damaged in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath will be demolished from today, officials have said.
Joshimath has been divided into three zones, ‘Danger’, ‘Buffer’ and ‘Completely Safe’, based on the magnitude of the danger from land subsidence or subsidence or freezing of the ground.
Officials said that cracks have appeared in more than 600 buildings in the sinking Joshimath. Those most damaged will be demolished.
Apart from several houses, two hotels – Mount View and Malari Inn – which are perched on each other, will also be demolished.
The ‘sinking’ city has been declared a disaster-prone zone and construction activities have been banned in Joshimath and surrounding areas.
Around 4,000 people have been shifted to safer areas,” a senior Home Ministry official told NDTV.
“It seems 30 per cent of Joshimath is affected. A report is being prepared by an expert committee and will be submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office,” he said.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has appealed everyone to work as a team and save the city. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also assured full cooperation to the state government.
An expert panel assessing the subsidence in Joshimath had recommended demolition of the damaged houses.
The demolition will be carried out under the supervision of a team from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), while the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been called in to assist them.
“The basic amenities in the relief camps arranged for the affected people in Joshimath are being constantly monitored by the administration and all possible help is being provided to the affected people,” officials said.
Joshimath is said to be the “winter seat” of Lord Badrinath, whose idol is brought from the main Badrinath temple in the city to the Vasudev temple every winter. It is also the gateway to Hemkund Sahib, the holy shrine of the Sikhs.
Experts have blamed unplanned infrastructure development, including hydroelectric projects, for the alarming situation.
Many people have pointed towards the hydroelectric project of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in this regard. Residents said they had written to the chief minister three times in the last month, warning him about the effects of blasts in the tunnels of the NTPC project.
In letters received by NDTV, residents have written that cracks have appeared in houses and roads due to the blasts, which took place a few kilometers from the city.
NTPC has denied any link between its project and the situation in Joshimath. In an official statement, it has said that the NTPC tunnel does not go under the city and no blasting work is being done at the site at this point.