As the administration started preparing for the demolition of two precariously standing hotels in subsidence-hit Joshimath in Uttarakhand, the owner of one of the hotels sat in protest on Wednesday demanding compensation.
Thakur Singh Rana, the hotel owner said, "My son stays in France. I can move there. But I am sitting in protest instead in solidarity with fellow (Joshimath) residents."
"We need to be compensated as those affected by the ongoing Badrinath redevelopment work. We are even prepared to sit out in the freezing cold till our demand is met," his wife said.
Hotels Malari Inn and Mount View were leaning towards each other dangerously, posing a threat to the human settlements around the structures.
The Uttarakhand government had directed the razing of unstable structures on Monday, starting with these two buildings.
However, as the administration was about to demolish Malari Inn towards the evening, its owner Thakur Singh laid himself on the road in front of the hotel in protest.
Hotel owners said they came to know about the state government's decision through newspapers and demanded a one-time settlement of the compensation amount.
According to sources, the hotel owners will meet the district magistrate in their push for compensation.
Officials had earlier said buildings will be dismantled under the supervision of a team of experts from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee.
A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is on standby to assist the district administration in the dismantling work, as and when required.
"Experts are on the ground and the administration will take action on their directions and advice," said the NDRF.
"They will be dismantling these hotels for the safety of the 15-20 families still living here. Our houses have been destroyed," said Manmohan Singh Rawat, a local.
Joshimath has been declared a land subsidence-hit area after huge cracks developed in houses, roads and the ground.
The holy town is the gateway to famous pilgrimage sites, such as Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib, and there has been a demand from some quarters, including the opposition Congress, to declare the crisis a national disaster.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday listed for hearing on January 16 a plea seeking its intervention to declare the crisis in Joshimath a national disaster.