Joshimath sinking: Strong resentment towards Uttarakhand authorities for ignoring warnings

By PTI

JOSHIMATH: Strong resentment prevails amongst individuals right here towards the federal government for the indifference with which it handled the warnings a couple of harmful state of affairs of buildings within the Himalayan city because of heavy development actions occurring round it.

They maintain the NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel undertaking primarily chargeable for the state of affairs.

“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 stated.

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

Land subsidence had made the homes of 14 households insecure in November 2021 itself, Sati remembers.

ALSO READ | Anthropogenic, pure components chargeable for Joshimath’s weak foundations: Expert

He stated that folks held an indication following this on the tehsil workplace on November 16, 2021 demanding rehabilitation and handed a memorandum to the SDM who acknowledged that even the tehsil workplace premises had developed cracks .

“If the government was aware of the problem why didn’t it act for more than a year to address it? What does that show?” Sati requested.

He stated that underneath the stress of individuals instant steps have been taken like momentary stopping of the NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad undertaking and development of Helang-Marwari bypass however they aren’t a everlasting answer.

ALSO READ | Temple collapses in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath, no casualty

“The threat to Joshimath’s existence will persist until these projects are stalled permanently,” he stated.

Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti will proceed to combat until the very finish till it’s accomplished, he added.

Former Dharmadhikari of Badrinath temple Bhuvan Chandra Uniyal additionally holds the style through which the NTPC works for the cracks.

ALSO READ | Uttarakhand CM orders instant evacuation of 600 households in Joshimath

“The tunnel of Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project is located right beneath Joshimath. Big boring machines were brought for its construction which have been stuck in the ground for the past two decades. Tons of explosives are used on a daily basis for the tunnel’s construction. Land subsidence gained momentum on January 3 due to large amount of explosives used by the NTPC. Uniyal is also angry with the NTPC for breaking its promise made to people.”

“The NTPC had earlier said that construction of the tunnel won’t harm the houses of Joshimath. The company had even promised to do insurance of the infrastructure in town. It would have benefited the people. But it did not keep its word,” he stated.

ALSO READ | Protests, anger spill out in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath as residents stare at exodus

“We should be told on the basis of scientific facts what is the future of Joshimath. Is it inhabitable or not. If yes, for how long. If not, then the government should take our land and homes and rehabilitate us or else we would lay down our lives on it,” Uniyal stated.

JOSHIMATH: Strong resentment prevails amongst individuals right here towards the federal government for the indifference with which it handled the warnings a couple of harmful state of affairs of buildings within the Himalayan city because of heavy development actions occurring round it.

They maintain the NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel undertaking primarily chargeable for the state of affairs.

“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 stated.

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

Land subsidence had made the homes of 14 households insecure in November 2021 itself, Sati remembers.

ALSO READ | Anthropogenic, pure components chargeable for Joshimath’s weak foundations: Expert

He stated that folks held an indication following this on the tehsil workplace on November 16, 2021 demanding rehabilitation and handed a memorandum to the SDM who acknowledged that even the tehsil workplace premises had developed cracks .

“If the government was aware of the problem why didn’t it act for more than a year to address it? What does that show?” Sati requested.

He stated that underneath the stress of individuals instant steps have been taken like momentary stopping of the NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad undertaking and development of Helang-Marwari bypass however they aren’t a everlasting answer.

ALSO READ | Temple collapses in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath, no casualty

“The threat to Joshimath’s existence will persist until these projects are stalled permanently,” he stated.

Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti will proceed to combat until the very finish till it’s accomplished, he added.

Former Dharmadhikari of Badrinath temple Bhuvan Chandra Uniyal additionally holds the style through which the NTPC works for the cracks.

ALSO READ | Uttarakhand CM orders instant evacuation of 600 households in Joshimath

“The tunnel of Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project is located right beneath Joshimath. Big boring machines were brought for its construction which have been stuck in the ground for the past two decades. Tons of explosives are used on a daily basis for the tunnel’s construction. Land subsidence gained momentum on January 3 due to large amount of explosives used by the NTPC. Uniyal is also angry with the NTPC for breaking its promise made to people.”

“The NTPC had earlier said that construction of the tunnel won’t harm the houses of Joshimath. The company had even promised to do insurance of the infrastructure in town. It would have benefited the people. But it did not keep its word,” he stated.

ALSO READ | Protests, anger spill out in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath as residents stare at exodus

“We should be told on the basis of scientific facts what is the future of Joshimath. Is it inhabitable or not. If yes, for how long. If not, then the government should take our land and homes and rehabilitate us or else we would lay down our lives on it,” Uniyal stated.