Nearly 50 families in the Himalayan town of Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district have been evacuated to safer locations after several houses developed huge cracks, reported PTI, citing officials. Located at a height of 6,000 feet, the town, which is on the route to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib, falls in high-risk seismic ‘Zone-V’.
District Disaster Management Officer NK Joshi said so far 561 houses in different areas of the town have developed cracks, although the degree of damages differs. The residents have been shifted to Nagar Palika Bhawan, a primary school building, the Milan Kendra, BKTC guest house, GIC, Gurudwara, inter-college building and ITI Tapovan, District Disaster Management Officer N K Joshi said.
A bandh was observed on Thursday to protest against administrative indifference and alleged that “NTPC projects which have led to its gradual sinking”. People descended on the streets and shouted slogans and also staged a chakka jam, Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti convenor Atul Sati said.
Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Abhishek Tripathi came to persuade the agitators, however, protestors did not budge and said that they will continue to protest until their demands are met. The demands include immediate rehabilitation of residents, stopping construction of an NTPC tunnel and a bypass road between Helang and Marwadi for Badrinath and fixing responsibility of this disaster on the NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project.
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A man stands near cracks at his house in Joshimath of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. (PTI Photo)
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Team of senior officials and experts led by Garhwal Commissioner Sushil Kumar during its visit to assess the cracks appearing in houses in Joshimath, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. (PTI Photo)
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Landslide in the Joshimath of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. (PTI Photo)
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Joshimath: Cracks in a house in the Joshimath of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. (PTI Photo)
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that he is closely monitoring the situation in Joshimath, adding that he will visit the place to assess the situation. Officials said a team of experts has also been set up to conduct a survey of the place.
Meanwhile, a ban on all construction activities was put in place in and around the town.
The district administration subsequently put a ban on the Helang bypass by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), work of the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and other construction work undertaken by the municipality with immediate effect till further orders.