The Uttarakhand government halted construction works in and around Joshimath, including projects by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), As protests intensifies in Joshimath over ground subsidence that has resulted in fissures in at least 500 homes and threatens to knock them down grew more intense.
Residents of Joshimath took out a procession and blocked the Badrinath Highway on last Thursday morning in an effort to get the administration to do more, hours before chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s office said he will hold a high-level meeting on the issue on Friday.
According to a government assessment, 561 homes have cracks, an issue that appears to be spreading throughout the town because the earth has exhibited signs of shifting, according to officials. “Currently, 561 dwellings have developed cracks, therefore we have created plans for temporary shelters by designating over 70 spaces, including 7 halls and one auditorium with a capacity for 385 people. Each ward has been visited by a team from the disaster management authority to assess any additional damage by keeping a careful eye on the situation,” said Chamoli district magistrate (DM) Himanshu Khurana.
Later, officials said ban on construction work was ordered in and around the town, including on the BRO’s Helang Bypass and on the NTPC’s Tapovan Vishnugad Hydroelectric Project till further orders.