Uttarakhand: Families flee Joshimath after 561 homes develop deep cracks
What's the story
Several families have fled their homes in Uttarakhand's Joshimath town after their homes developed deep cracks suddenly, ANI reported. According to District Disaster Management (DDM), nearly 561 houses developed cracks due to continued land subsidence in the town. Meanwhile, hundreds of people gathered on the streets with flaming torches to hold protests against the government's alleged inaction in the matter.
Details
Badrinath National Highway also affected
Municipal officials told ANI that cracks have started increasing in Singhdhar and Marwadi villages as well as on the Badrinath National Highway near the Singhdhar Jain locality and JP Company Gate in Marwadi. "This crack is increasing every hour which is worrying," said Joshimath Municipal Chairman Shailendra Panwar. DDM also reported cases of water seepage from underground in JP Colony, Marwadi ward of Joshimath.
Official
Nine wards severely affected by landslides
As per reports, Joshimath town's nine wards have been severely impacted by landslides. The risk of home collapse due to landslides in winter months has now become a major issue in the town, forcing residents to leave their homes for safer locations. Panwar said that over 3,000 people from 576 houses in the city area have been affected due to this subsidence.
Twitter Post
Images and videos of the protest shared on Twitter
Uttarakhand | A large number of people took out a torchlight protest in Joshimath yesterday as several houses developed deep cracks, leaving them in a panicked state. pic.twitter.com/AKlMkIEAli
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) January 5, 2023
Twitter Post
Twitter Post
#Uttarakhand के #Joshimath में घरों में दरारों के खिलाफ प्रदर्शन...#ViralVideo pic.twitter.com/MwAkP6kKmE
— DNA Hindi (@DnaHindi) January 5, 2023
Response
Uttarakhand chief minister assures action
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that necessary actions would be taken to save the people of the district. Dhami would be visiting Joshimath soon to take stock of the situation and initiate necessary actions. He announced it in a statement against the backdrop of reports of huge cracks appearing in the houses in the area due to land subsidence.
Assessment
Expert team to assess homes for reasons
To determine the cause of the ground sinking in Joshimath and the ensuing damage to the dwellings, the government formed a team of scientists. On CM's orders, the team will evaluate the frequency of landslides and housing cracks. The team comprised engineers from the Geological Survey of India, the Wadia Institute, and IIT Roorkee.