GANGA MAHASABHA: Sinking town: Joshimath

GANGA MAHASABHA: Sinking town: Joshimath:   Joshimath, Uttarakhand:  At Uttarakhand's "sinking town" of Joshimath, where more than 700 homes have developed cracks and r...

Sinking town: Joshimath

 Joshimath, Uttarakhand: 

At Uttarakhand's "sinking town" of Joshimath, where more than 700 homes have developed cracks and residents are being moved to safety, banned drilling activity has resumed in the dead of night.

At 2 am early Wednesday, an NDTV team caught on camera stone-crushing and drilling in full swing in the mountains just outside Joshimath, near the highway that connects the area to the holy town of Badrinath.

Cranes were seen carrying stones from the spot after the crushers did their job. The noise from the drilling could be heard for over a kilometre but there was no one to stop the workers.

All construction work has been banned in and around Joshimath due to land subsidence, or the sinking of the surface, which has caused dangerous cracks in 721 houses in the town. Work on an all-weather road was also stopped.

Thousands of people are living in fear in the temple town that is known to be the gateway to Badrinath.

Massive cracks have appeared in buildings and roads because of years of construction activity and unplanned infrastructure building, including hydropower projects.

The planned demolition of the most damaged buildings, including two hotels and several houses, was blocked by angry residents and shop-owners who said they were not given any notice.

Besides hotels and business establishments, 678 homes are in danger, the Uttarakhand government has said.

Some 4,000 people have been moved to relief camps after a satellite survey.

Joshimath and its neighbouring areas have been sinking at the rate of 6.5 cm every year, satellite data reveals.

Post a commentMany local residents blame the hydroelectricity project of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), alleging that the blasting of tunnels left the entire region unstable. The NTPC has denied the charge.

 

Tent city in Banaras

The Varanasi Development Authority (VDA) is reviving a proposal to establish a ‘Tent City’ on the sandy bed of the Ganges river on the opposite side of the ghats in the holy city.

“The ‘Tent City’ will allow its guests to enjoy the beauty of the mythological Kashi ghats both day and night. While it aims to reduce the burden on hotels, which opt for dynamic pricing due to increased footfall of pilgrims after the redevelopment of Kashi Vishwanath Dham opened in December, it will also be an attraction for locals by giving them a chance to get acquainted with Rann Utsav of Kutch and Konark Tent City,” said Deepak Agrawal, Division Commissioner and VDA Chairman.

Sharing their plan, the officials said that the “tent city” would emerge on an area of 100 hectares and would be equipped with “Swiss cottages” of three categories: Ganga Darshan Villas, premium tents and super luxurious.

Among all, Ganga Darshan Villas will be the grandest with a floor space of 900 square feet. It will be a riverfront air-conditioned living facility with king size bed, lounge, plunge pool, Rajwadi sofa set, dining table and other facilities.