However, no containment action has been taken, locals said.
Joshimath, Uttarakhand:
Residents of the “sinking town” Joshimath in Uttarakhand wrote to Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami three times last month, warning him of the consequences of explosions in the tunnels of the nearby NTPC hydel project, the the letter was accessed by NDTV. The ground shook and initial cracks in houses and roads began to appear due to explosions from the under-construction project, a few kilometers from the sacred town, in December, when panicked residents called for Prime Minister give action. However, no containment action has been taken, locals said. NTPC has denied any connection between its project and the Joshimath tragedy.
The residents wrote three letters, each with increasing urgency as the cracks widened. The situation has worsened, and now more than 600 families are being evacuated from Joshimath after a temple collapsed and several houses cracked wide.
“We have been asking the Uttarakhand and DM authorities since last year to be aware of explosions in NTPC tunnels that shook the whole area. When our houses started to have initial cracks. last December we wrote several letters to the government, but never received any response.DM visited once, but no action was taken to resolve the issue. crisis. Now we have reached the point where Joshimath could sink at any moment,” said Thakur Singh Rana, a hotelier who said he suffered a loss of Rs 7 billion because his hotel building has developed properties. large cracks and slant toward a building.
Chamoli District Judge Himanshu Khurana admitted that people had written to him and the Premier, but he “didn’t know what to do”. He also said the NTPC had told the authorities they were following all instructions.
“Yes, residents wrote to me and CM. I also visited the area in December, but really don’t know what to do. Because first we need to determine why the cracks are happening. happens again. Otherwise we will take any action without knowing the cause which can also backfire. That’s why I can’t take any action,” Mr. Khurana replied. word.
NTPC has denied any link between their project and land subsidence in Joshimath. In an official statement, they said the NTPC tunnel does not go below the town and no blasting work is currently being carried out at the site. “The tunnel boring machine is being used for construction,” it said.
The state government acted quickly, deploying helicopters and putting rescue and relief services first as the town, the gateway to several religious pilgrimages, was in danger of sinking. All construction activities in and around Joshimath in the state’s Chamoli district, including major projects such as the Chardham all-weather road (Helang-Marwari bypass) and NTPC’s hydel project, have been halted. at the request of the people.
Joshimath is said to be the winter residence of Lord Badrinath, whose idol is taken from the main temple of Badrinath to the temple of Vasudeva in Joshimath every winter. It is also the gateway to the holy Sikh temple Hemkund Sahib.
It belongs to one of the country’s most seismically active areas – officially classified as Zone-V (very severe intensity zone).
Center established a panel of experts to conduct a “rapid study” of land subsidence that will look at the impact of land subsidence on human settlements, buildings, highways, infrastructure and riparian systems .
Locals say climate change and ongoing infrastructure development are to blame. Experts argues that many factors – involving both human and natural activities – have led to the subsidence. The director of the Wadia Institute of Geology of the Himalayas, Kalachand Sain, said the elements are not recent, but have been forming for a long time.
Joshimath also has one of the major military bases near India’s border with China. The important Joshimath-Malari border road in Chamoli district connecting with the Chinese border has appeared cracks in some places due to landslides.
The state government says those whose homes have been affected and displaced will receive Rs4,000 a month in rent for the next six months from the Ministerial Relief Fund.
