Protests, anger spill out in Uttarakhand's Joshimath as residents stare at exodus

DEHRADUN:  The sparsely populated town of Joshimath with around 25,000 people in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district is terrified following large cracks that have appeared in many dwelling units and outside due to ‘land sinking.’ The Chamoli district administration has ordered public sector NTPC and HCC to build 2,000 prefabricated structures as a precautionary measure to relocate the affected families.

Most wards of the town have reported such dangerous cracks, forcing angry residents to hit the streets. On Thursday, the local market remained shut amid shrill demands for safety and security. A huge torch procession the previous day was preceded by a market shutdown on the call of Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (JBSS).

On behalf of the district administration, Joint Magistrate Deepak Saini and Deputy Superintendent of Police Pramod Shah continued to persuade people against taking the agitation path. However, JBSS chief Shailendra Panwar and convenor Atul Sati insisted on a written assurance on the closure of the NTPC project and the Helang-Marwari bypass with full arrangements for the rehabilitation of the affected families.

The administration is engaged on a war footing to provide all possible help to the families affected by landslides in Joshimath. These families have been accommodated in municipal, block, BKTC guest houses, GIC, Gurudwara, Inter College, ITI Tapovan, and other places. As many as 47 families from Joshimath Nagar area have been temporarily shifted.

Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana said: “The situation is being reviewed around the clock. Senior officials are at hand along with their teams. The state Disaster Response Force, NDRF, police, and other security personnel have been put on alert against the looming disaster.”

Construction work has come to a standstill for fear of land sinking. A vital road link where construction has continued includes the Helang bypass, constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The NTPC has been working on the Tapovan Vishnugarh hydropower project. Then, there are other construction activities under the municipal corporation areas. The operation of the Joshimath-Auli ropeway has also been suspended indefinitely.

Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya cited locals’ complaints about the “uncontrolled, short-sighted development” for the destruction of Joshimath. “The tunnel constructed for NTPC’s Tapovan Vishnugarh project has hollowed the ground from within. Even then the authorities have started constructing the bypass road. The excavations at the root of the town are shaking its foundation,” said Arya.