On January 5, 2023, residents of Joshimath staged a demonstration demanding action by the government after several houses lit torches, causing deep cracks in several houses, causing panic. , Photo Credit: ANI
Residents of Joshimath town have reported an increase in the number of landslides and hundreds Cracks appear in houses in Uttarakhand’s hill townThe district administration has issued orders to stop work on National Thermal Power Corporation’s (NTPC) Tapovan Vishnugarh hydroelectric project and all other construction activities in the area, including Helang Bypass Road. The operation of Auli Ropeway, one of the longest ropeways in Asia, was also stopped.
Residents in Joshimath are in panic as houses have developed dangerous cracks allegedly due to construction activity.
Due to continuous land subsidence in Joshimath town, many houses are getting big cracks, people are evacuating their houses and looking for safer places. , Photo Credit: ANI
On Thursday, several locals, under the banner of the Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (JBSS), staged a day-long protest. Traffic was severely affected on the Badrinath National Highway till 4 pm, leaving tourists stranded. The local people took out a march demanding immediate evacuation from the city and stopping the construction work of NTPC.
The Chamoli district administration later pacified the protesters by ordering a halt to construction work related to the hydroelectric project and even the Helang bypass being built by the Border Roads Organization (BRO).
Bhuvan Chandra Uniyal, the chief priest of the Badrinath temple located next to Joshimath, has appealed to the government for help. “The city of Joshimath is now taking its last breaths. Spread the voice of this Himalayan region across the country.
Additional District Magistrate Abhishek Tripathi told Hindu Four families were moved to safer places on Thursday and all kinds of construction activity has been banned in the city.
“So far, the administration has evacuated 38 families from their damaged houses and taken them to a rehabilitation center operated at a community hall,” the official said.
The district administration has also issued orders to NTPC and Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) to set up 2,000 pre-fabricated buildings – to act as shelters for the families being shifted as a precautionary measure.
The protesters alleged that the government ignored their warnings about the rapid construction work being done by NTPC.
“Why has the government banned construction work now when we are on the verge of drowning? Why didn’t he pay attention to us earlier?” asked Atul, the coordinator of JBSS.
Sources said the Uttarakhand Chief Minister’s Office has sent a team of officials from the Disaster Management Department to take stock of the situation, which is also being monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office.
On January 4, 2023, there was a crack in the house of a resident of Joshimath. Photo: Special Arrangement
Garhwal Commissioner Sushil Kumar, Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha, Disaster Management Executive Officer Piyush Rautela, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Deputy Commandant Rohitas Mishra, Landslide Mitigation Center scientist Santoon Sarkar and a team of experts from IIT Roorkee reached Joshimath on Thursday. . To take stock of the situation.
It may be noted that last year, a similar team, including experts from the government-constituted Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology and IIT Roorkee, had mentioned in its report that large parts of Joshimath, located at an altitude of over 6,000 feet, are sinking.
“The report submitted by the Disaster Management Department to the state government states that Joshimath was built on shaky foundations. It is also said that poor drainage system and erosion of rivers have further complicated the situation over the years,” explained an official involved in compiling the report last year.
The report recommended that construction be halted in some parts of the city. It also recommended steps like regulated development and continuous monitoring of affected areas, apart from preparing an effective drainage and sewage plan for the city.