Temple Collapses In Joshimath, Govt Orders Evacuation Of 600 Families From Sinking Holy Town

The Uttarakhand government has ordered the immediate evacuation of around 600 families living in houses that have developed huge cracks and are at risk in Joshimath town, which is sinking.

"Saving lives is our first priority. Officials have been asked to shift around 600 families living in endangered houses in Joshimath to safe locations," Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Friday.

TWITTER

Cracks on more houses in Joshimath

Teams from NDRF have also been deployed in the area as a precautionary measure, Chamoli Chief Development Officer (CDO) Lalit Narayan Mishra said on Friday.

On Thursday, around 30 families relocated to safer areas after their houses developed cracks and became dangerous.

Apart from them, 60 families living in a colony meant for Vishnu Prayag Jal Vidyut Pariyojana employees have been shifted elsewhere.

TWITTER

Temple collapses in Joshimath

On Friday evening, a temple in the Singdhar ward of Joshimath collapsed, further alarming residents living under constant fear of a major disaster.

Luckily there was no one inside the temple when it collapsed as it had been abandoned after it developed huge cracks over the past 15 days, locals said.

Big cracks have appeared in Joshimath's Sunil Ward, Manohar Bagh Ward, and Gandhi Ward houses. Along with this, the residential colony of Jaypee Group located in Marwari has also come under threat. Water is seeping from the wall of some structures in Jaypee premises.

If it rains even a little, water filling the big cracks in the ground can cause havoc.

Joshimath problem is really serious. Durga Prasad Saklani is forced to use wood log to support the roof. Floors of his two rooms have caved-in, cracks in walls and sinking verandah. Need immediate attention #joshimath #joshimathsinking pic.twitter.com/rudgxBq5EJ

¡ª Gaurav Talwar (@gauravtalwarTOI) January 3, 2023

Evacuation not fast enough

Terrified locals say that the evacuation is not fast enough and demand that all residents be shifted to safety immediately.

Joshimath residents blame the NTPC and its Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project for the crisis.

ANI

How NTPC expedited the crisis

"We have been drawing the attention of authorities for the past 14 months. But we were not heeded. Now when the situation is getting out of hand, they are sending expert teams to assess things," Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti convenor Atul Sati said.

Families evacuated from ¡®sinking¡¯ Joshimath in Uttarakhand as fresh aquifer bursts - https://t.co/8r9lWiHi1K
#Joshimath @TOIIndiaNews @TOIPlus pic.twitter.com/Gq7lj795zG

¡ª Shivani Azad (@shivaniazadTOI) January 5, 2023

"If attention was paid in time to what we were saying, things would not have been so alarming in Joshimath," he added.

Former Dharmadhikari of Badrinath temple Bhuvan Chandra Uniyal also holds NTPC responsible for the manner in which it works for the cracks.

"The tunnel of the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project is located right beneath Joshimath. Big boring machines were brought for their construction, which has been stuck in the ground for the past two decades.

AFP/FILE

Tons of explosives are used daily for the tunnel's construction. Land subsidence gained momentum on January 3 due to the large quantity of explosives used by the NTPC.

Under pressure from locals, the authorities have suspended all construction activities related to mega projects like the Char Dham all-weather road and the NTPC's hydel project. The Auli ropeway, Asia's biggest, has been stopped after a vast crack developed beneath it.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.