Despite a ban on all construction activities in the sinking town, construction NTPC work continues in Joshimath.
While protests by a group of residents in Joshimath are going on, the Chamoli administration put a ban on all construction activities in and around the “sinking” town, it was astonishing to learn that NTPC work is going. Thus far, nearly 50 families staying in houses at risk have been evacuated so far.
The town observed a bandh to protest against administrative indifference to the plight of residents and the “NTPC projects which have led to its gradual sinking”.
A netizen communicated, “The alleged development which is being considered as the reason for moving towards the destruction of #जोशीमठ is still going on.” Sunil Patel expressed, “Earth is exploding, houses are being destroyed, people are being evicted from their settlements of years, and there is a crisis on life and civilization but #NTPC work is going on???”
#JoshimathIsSinking
जिस कथित विकास को #जोशीमठ के विनाश की ओर बढ़ने का कारण माना जा रहा है, वो अभी तक जारी है।
धरती फट रही, आशियाने उजड़ रहे, लोग बरसों की बसाहट से बेदखल हो रहे, जिंदगी और सभ्यता पर संकट है मगर #NTPC का काम चल रहा ???#JoshimathIsSinking pic.twitter.com/tjVYx1zxsK— Sunil Patel 🇮🇳 (@sunilpatel139) January 11, 2023
Licypriya Kangujam. 11-year-old climate activist tweeted, “In 1976, experts warned to stop developmental works in the ecologically fragile region of Joshimath, Uttarakhand. Today Joshimath is sinking. And thousands of people are now become homeless. When humans will stop ecological destruction? You will pay the price to your children.”
In 1976, experts warned to stop developmental works in ecological fragile region of Joshimath, Uttarakhand. Today Joshimath is sinking. And thousands of people are now become homeless.
When humans will stop ecological destruction ? You will pay the price to your children. pic.twitter.com/JfTjMa47GH
— Licypriya Kangujam (@LicypriyaK) January 7, 2023
Radhey Shyam voiced, “All that BJP Government cares about is power and not people.
#JoshimathIsSinking
#Joshimath
All that BJP Government cares about is power and not people.#JoshimathIsSinking#Joshimath pic.twitter.com/UOfYzNqVFM
— Radhey Shyam (@rsdaroga) January 7, 2023
Angry citizens in Joshimath, Uttarakhand took to the streets shouting slogans against an “idle administration” and staged a chakka jam while the business establishments remained closed, Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti convenor Atul Sati said.
Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Abhishek Tripathi arrived on the scene to persuade the agitators to stage a dharna but he was told that it will continue until decisive action is taken on their demands.
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 for this disaster on the NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project, he said.
While the district administration subsequently put a ban on the construction of the Helang bypass by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), work on the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project, and other construction work undertaken by the municipality with immediate effect till further orders, it was shocking to discover the construction work still continues.
Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib fall in high-risk seismic ‘Zone-V’.
Mojo Story
@themojostory
·
14h
Despite ban, construction work continues in #Joshimath uninterrupted. Mojo Story’s
@journo_harshit
brings you details from Uttarakhand’s sinking town
Despite ban, construction work continues in #Joshimath uninterrupted. Mojo Story's @journo_harshit brings you details from Uttarakhand's sinking town pic.twitter.com/CJt9ENwLXj
— Mojo Story (@themojostory) January 11, 2023
The NTPC and the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) have also been asked to build 2,000 pre-fabricated houses each in advance for the affected families. The district administration is taking all steps to ensure the safety of affected people.
So far 47 families living in houses at risk after developing cracks have been shifted to safer locations temporarily including 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 team of senior officials, including Garhwal Commissioner Sushil Kumar, Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha, Disaster Management CEO Piyush Rautela, NDRF deputy commandant Rohitashva Mishra and Earthquake Minimisation Centre’s Shantanu Sircar and IIT Roorkee professor B K Maheshwari visited Joshimath and held a meeting with officials to assess the situation.
The degree of damage to the houses differs and till now 47 families from the most affected houses have been shifted temporarily to safer places from the town, he said, adding that more families could be evacuated if required.
Some of the families have also been shifted for the time being to the places of their relatives, Joshi said.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the situation in Joshimath is being closely monitored and he will visit the place soon to assess the situation.
The officials said a team of experts has also been set up to conduct a survey of the place that falls in the high-risk seismic ‘Zone-V’.
However, with the construction work still continuing, it will only aggravate the sinking town further and what is the purpose of building in a town that people would have to vacate? In 1976, ecologist specialists cautioned against building and construction due to the ecologically fragile region of Joshimath, Uttarakhand. Joshimath is falling down and thousands of people have to vacate and will be homeless because no one paid heed to the warning.
