PremiumAmid the Joshimath crisis, an old video of the Late union minister Sushma Swaraj has gone viral. Swaraj is giving a speech at Lok Sabha after the Kedarnath floods in the video. The former external affairs minister in 2013 spoke about issues of development and destruction in the eco-sensitive zone of Uttarakhand.
Post the Kedarnath disaster, which occurred on 16 June 2013, Swaraj brought up the issue of the destruction of the environment in Parliament in September 2013. In the nine-year-old video in Hindi, Swaraj said, "In the name of development in Uttarakhand, rampant attacks are happening against the nature and environment. It is the outcome of that (Kedarnath floods). For whom are we doing the development? For whom are we spending million-billion dollars? One day, nature will become furious, and will destroy everything. When will we open our eyes? Not even after this disaster?... ("In Uttarakhand, vikas ke naame pe jo hodh lagi hai, prakriti se ched chad karne ki, paryavaran ko pradushit karne ki, nadiyo par bandh banane ki... yeh uska nateeja hai. hum kiske liye vikas kar rahe hai, huma arbo kahrbo rupiya ka vikas karte jaate hai. Prakriti ek din krodhit hoti hai, aur aisi vinash leela karti hai ki sab kuch tabah kar jaati hai. kab aankhein khulegi humari? kya is trasidi ke baad bhi nahi? kya is aapda ke baad bhi nahi?)".
At present, Uttarakhand's Joshimath is reeling from severe crisis where big cracks have developed in hundreds of homes in the town.
Around 1,800 metres (6,000 feet) above sea level, Joshimath is a major gateway to a number of important religious sites in the Himalayas, attracting thousands of pilgrims every year.
The town also hosts a major Indian army base and a strategic road to the disputed border with China that has also reportedly developed wide cracks.
Pillars supporting a four-kilometre (2.5-mile) cable car ropeway, one of Asia's largest, leading to the Auli ski resort were also reportedly showing damage.
The region is prone to earthquakes and has seen a number of disasters in recent years blamed by experts on melting glaciers and untrammelled construction.
Building projects include hydroelectric plants as well as a major road improving military access to the Chinese border area and Hindu pilgrimage sites -- a pet project of PM Modi's.
In February 2021, at least 200 people were killed in flash floods in Joshimath and surrounding areas in a disaster that experts partly blamed on excessive development.