Joshimath observed a Bandh primarily to protest against the administrative indifference to the plight of residents “NTPC projects which have led to its gradual sinking”
New Delhi: Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister, announced that he would hold a high-level meeting on Friday evening to assess the situation as protests continued in Joshimath, where over 560 homes had developed cracks as a result of land subsidence and 50 families who lived in homes at risk had received rehabilitation.
“I will hold a high-level meeting in Dehradun this evening regarding landslides in Joshimath and the cracks in the houses,” the Chief Minister told news agency ANI.
To protest the administration’s disregard for the needs of the citizens, and the “NTPC projects which have led to its gradual sinking” the town observed a bandh.
According to Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti convenor Atul Sati, protesters flocked to the streets screaming slogans against a “idle administration” and creating a chakka gridlock while businesses were shut.
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The state government has been under fire from the Congress for allegedly turning a blind eye to the general public’s apathy, “Landslides are happening continuously in Joshimath (Jyotirmath). Due to cracks in many houses in Joshimath, people are forced to spend the night on the streets in the bitter cold. The state government should take appropriate steps to save Joshimath from landslides,” the party tweeted.
Senior leader Ganesh Godiyal, in a tweet, said, “The majority that BJP has got in the state is only to run and rule the government, the government is sleeping peacefully without caring about the interests of the people!”
Abhishek Tripathi, an Additional District Magistrate (ADM), attempted to talk down the demonstrators by holding a dharna, but they refused to stop until their demands were met in a clear-cut manner.
The requests include blocking building of an NTPC tunnel and a bypass road between Helang and Marwadi for Badrinath, as well as holding NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project accountable for the disaster, he said. The demands also call for prompt rehabilitation of the affected residents.
The building of the Helang bypass by the Border Roads Organization (BRO), the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydroelectric project, and other municipal development projects were subsequently suspended by the district administration with immediate effect until further orders.
Additionally, it has been requested that the NTPC and the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) construct 2,000 prefabricated homes each in advance for the impacted households.
According to District Disaster Management Officer N K Joshi, 47 families who were residing in houses that were at risk due to developing cracks have so far been temporarily relocated to safer locations such as Nagar Palika Bhawan, a primary school building, the Milan Kendra, BKTC guest house, GIC, Gurudwara, inter college building, and ITI Tapovan.
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