The ancient Uttarakhand city of Joshimath, where the religious reformer Adi Shankaracharya attained enlightenment in the eighth century, has become a cause for concern. Asia’s longest cable car has been closed to tourists, two hotels have been closed, people are protesting in the streets and nearly 66 families have been displaced from their homes.
The events are the second jolt to the hill state, which is already witnessing unrest in Haldwani over eviction notices, prompting many to draw a parallel between Haldwani’s agitation and Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh held over the Citizenship Amendment Act 2020.
Residents of Joshimath block Badrinath National Highway on Thursday amid a fresh frenzy as water gushes from Joshimath Rock. People have already dealt with ominous cracks and crevices appearing in their homes, roads, and agricultural fields.
At midnight on Monday, he hears sounds from below the surface of the earth. In fear, many families were evacuated to a safer place on Wednesday, with more in line. Adding to the frenzy was the aquifer bursting in the area around the JP residential colony in Marwari.
Terrified locals took to the streets with torches in their hands on Wednesday night to ask the government to halt all construction in the sinking city. There is a fear that the slope on which the town is located will collapse, it is located on an old landslide and is therefore vulnerable.
In a bid to reassure residents, the Uttarakhand government on Thursday formed a team of scientists to find out the reason for the land subsidence and cracks in the house. A team will go to the spot and investigate the reason.
By evening, the Chamoli District Magistrate ordered the immediate suspension of work on the Tapovan Vishnugad water project and the ongoing construction of the Helang bypass, which are believed to be one of the main reasons for the decline.
News agency ANI reported that cracks have reportedly developed in as many as 561 houses. Now the process of growing rift in Singhdhar and Marwadi has started.
Badrinath NH near Singhdhar Jain locality and JP Company Gate Marwadi near the forest department check post are constantly bursting. This rift is growing by the hour and worries Joshimath Municipal Corporation Chairman Shailendra Pawar.
