Authorities will begin the demolition work of the hotels and houses in the Uttarakhand town – Joshimath on Tuesday, which has developed cracks in the wake of the landslide and subsidence. Hotels Malari Inn and Mount View, which have developed more cracks, will be demolished, officials said.
The demolition work will be supervised by the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee, with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) fielded to assist the local administration.
Joshimath, home to a population of more than 25,000 people, is an overnight halt for those visiting the shrines at Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib and other tourist destinations, which has resulted in mushrooming of too many hotels and resorts in the area – a factor which the experts blame for the heaviest land subsidence reported in the town till date. According to state government officials, there are around 3,800 residential structures and 400 commercial buildings in the town.
The evacuation bid comes even as the Uttarakhand government is working on a plan to rehabilitate the affected locals gripped with panic and fear and staring at an uncertain future.
Meanwhile, the District Disaster Management Authority, Chamoli issued a bulletin in view of landslides in the Joshimath area. The bulletin said that cracks have been noticed in a total of 678 buildings in the town and in view of security, about 81 families have been temporarily displaced from the region.
Follow all the updates here:
-
Jan 10, 2023 09:20 PM IST
Preparations begin to demolish two hotels in Joshimath amid protests
The administration prepared on Tuesday to demolish two precariously standing hotels in subsidence-hit Joshimath in Uttarakhand but faced protests from their owners and locals on the issue of compensation, while more families were evacuated from the danger zone as the number of affected houses rose to over 700.
-
Jan 10, 2023 06:48 PM IST
Joshimath crisis: Demolition stopped at Malari Inn amid protests
Protest outside Malari Inn in Joshimath, Uttarakhand The demolition of Hotel Malari Inn which has been declared ‘unsafe’ stopped due to protest by locals.
“I am not protesting against the demolition of the hotel building but I’m demanding fair compensation from the government,” said Thakur Singh Rana, hotel owner.
“We are talking to the hotel owner via CDO Chamoli after certain issues were raised by him. Demolition work of the hotel will be done after a decision is agreed upon,” said M Mishra, SDRF, Uttarakhand.
-
Jan 10, 2023 05:55 PM IST
Malari Inn to be demolished tomorrow
The demolition of Malari Inn – one of the two badly damaged hotels on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway in Joshimath – will begin on Wednesday, a CBRI team said after conducting a survey today.
-
Jan 10, 2023 05:29 PM IST
CBRI explains why demolitions will be carried out
Due to land subsidence, cracks are appearing in the land, and because of this, the foundation of buildings is quite affected. A seven-storey hotel building’s foundation has weakened and building can’t be repaired that’s why we’re demolishing it: DP Kanungo, Chief Scientist, Central Building Research Institute
-
Jan 10, 2023 05:01 PM IST
Centre to install micro-seismic observation systems in Joshimath
The systems will be in place by Wednesday, said Union minister Jitendra Singh who made the announcement at the India-UK Workshop of Geosciences in New Delhi.
-
Jan 10, 2023 04:16 PM IST
Now, cracks appear in houses in Karnaprayag
Cracks have appeared at around 50 houses and various minor landslides have taken place at Bahuguna Nagar of Karnaprayag. Many families have left their homes and taken shelter with their relatives staying in other areas.
-
Jan 10, 2023 03:44 PM IST
Hotel owners oppose ‘abrupt’ demolition
Owners of Mount View and Malari Inn, both earmarked for demolition, say they came to know about the development through newspapers, and demanded that a one-time settlement plan should have been offered to them before the decision to demolish was made.
-
Jan 10, 2023 03:13 PM IST
‘Cattle shelters to be made’: Union minister
People have built their homes from hard-earned money but now they have to leave them. Our priority is to keep everybody safe. PM is constantly monitoring the situation. Officials deployed, Army alerted. Cattle shelter to be made too: Ajay Bhatt, MoS (Defence)
-
Jan 10, 2023 02:36 PM IST
As many as 678 building marked unsafe: Uttarakhand DGP
As of now, 678 buildings marked unsafe. Many vacated and the process is still underway. 8 teams of SDRF, 1 NDRF, 1 extra company of PAC and police officials present there. If needed some areas will be sealed. A scientific study of the area is being done: Ashok Kumar, Uttarakhand DGP
-
Jan 10, 2023 02:23 PM IST
Union minister meets affected residents
MoS (Defence) Ajay Bhatt meets the affected people in Joshimath’s Sunil ward.
-
Jan 10, 2023 02:08 PM IST
‘It is all ending now’: Joshimath residents bid painful farewell to their homes
-
Jan 10, 2023 01:59 PM IST
Locals protest against NTPC projects over Joshimath cracks
Angry locals are protesting against the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) related constructions near the Joshimath area in Uttarakhand.
-
Jan 10, 2023 01:44 PM IST
‘Burden on town has threatened its existence’: Joshimath resident
“In the 1960s, there were just 30 shops in the town and 400 families used to live here. Now, there were more than 4,300 structures on the fragile terrain and town has a population of more than 25,000. Over the years, the burden on the town has grown and it has now caused danger to Joshimath’s very existence,” said Puran Singh, who works in a small tailoring shop in Joshimath. Read more.
-
Jan 10, 2023 01:26 PM IST
Joshimath demolitions ‘essential’, Hotel Malari Inn will be torn down first
Demolition of two hotels in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath – Hotel Malari Inn and Hotel Mount View – and some houses that have developed cracks due to land subsidence – will take place today. Read more.
-
Jan 10, 2023 01:05 PM IST
NTPC says its tunnelling, projects not responsible for Joshimath cracks
Experts have long warned that large-scale construction work in and around Joshimath town, including for power projects built by companies like state-run NTPC, could lead to land subsidence, reports Reuters. However, NTPC said its tunnelling and other work is not responsible for the cracks.
-
Jan 10, 2023 12:46 PM IST
Joshimath sinking: Updated disaster plan need of the hour
The land subsidence incident in Joshimath may have been caused by rampant infrastructure development and the climate crisis, but it is also happening in a state whose disaster management strategy has several gaps, according to a 2021 National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) report. Read more.
-
Jan 10, 2023 12:23 PM IST
Political row intensifies on Joshimath, Congress demands national calamity status
A political row over the situation in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath town erupted on Monday after the Congress hit out at the ruling BJP in the state for ignoring a report prohibiting huge constructions and demanded that the land subsidence in the area be declared a “national disaster”. Read more.
-
Jan 10, 2023 12:06 PM IST
Joshimath PIL: Not every issue of urgency must be taken up by SC, says CJI
Not every issue of urgency must be taken up by the Supreme Court when democratically elected institutions are addressing it, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud said on Tuesday. Read more.
-
Jan 10, 2023 11:48 AM IST
Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt reaches Joshimath
Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt reached ‘sinking’ town Joshimath in Uttarakhand on Tuesday. He held discussions with the administrative officials at the Army base regarding the situation in the town, reported ANI.
-
Jan 10, 2023 11:33 AM IST
As Joshimath declared ‘unsafe for living’, govt focus on evacuation
The Uttarakhand government has declared Joshimath’s all nine municipal wards as “landslide-subsidence zone” under the disaster management act, and started evacuation of residents from these areas. Read more.
-
Jan 10, 2023 11:19 AM IST
‘Messing with our environment’: Experts on why Joshimath is sinking
Land subsidence in Joshimath is primarily due to the National Thermal Power Corporation’s Tapovan Vishnugad Hydro Power Project and is a very grave reminder that people are messing up with the environment to an extent that is irreversible, experts said on Sunday. Read more.
-
Jan 10, 2023 11:10 AM IST
Staring at uncertain future, say Joshimath residents
A resident of Joshimath’s Manohar Bagh locality, 60-year-old Usha pointed at the cracks that have developed on a temple inside Jyotirmath premises as she poignantly said: “We are on the verge of losing our identity.” Read more.
-
Jan 10, 2023 10:54 AM IST
Joshimath crisis: SC declines urgent hearing, says ‘everything important need not come to it’
The Supreme Court declined an urgent hearing of Joshimath land subsidence incidents on Tuesday and posted the matter for hearing on January 16. The top court said that everything which is important need not come to the apex court, adding that there are democratically elected institutions working on it.
-
Jan 10, 2023 10:48 AM IST
Malari Inn to be demolished step-wise: Expert
“Malari Inn will be demolished in a step-wise manner today. First of all, the top portion will be demolished. It is being done because both the hotels have tilted and have come very close to each other due to the sinking,” said Manikant Mishra, Commandant, SDRF, ANI reported.
-
Jan 10, 2023 10:44 AM IST
I’ll leave but urge for valuation, says owner of Malari Inn which will be demolished shortly
-
Jan 10, 2023 10:40 AM IST
Hotel Malari Inn to be demolished shortly, SDRF deployed
-
Jan 10, 2023 10:39 AM IST
Joshimath land subsidence blamed on years of untrammelled development
Joshimath land subsidence is being blamed on years of untrammelled development. Joshimath is home to a population of more than 25,000 people. The town is an overnight halt for those visiting the shrines at Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib and other tourist destinations, which has resulted in mushrooming of too many hotels and resorts in the area – a factor which the experts blame for the heaviest land subsidence reported in the town till date.
-
Jan 10, 2023 10:34 AM IST
Amid fears over land subsidence in Joshimath, fresh cracks seen on some houses in Chamoli’s Karnaprayag
Amid fears over land subsidence in the Joshimath area, fresh cracks were seen on some houses in Bahuguna Nagar of Karnaprayag Municipality in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, reported ANI.
-
Jan 10, 2023 10:29 AM IST
Demolition of damaged hotels, houses to begin today
Authorities will start the demolition work of the hotels and houses in the Uttarakhand town – Joshimath on Tuesday, which has developed cracks in the wake of the landslide and subsidence. Hotels Malari Inn and Mount View, which have developed more cracks, will be demolished, officials said.
