Authorities in a north Indian town are demolishing buildings that had begun to crack due to shifting soil, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people to safety.
The demolition drive in Uttarakhand state’s Joshimath began on Tuesday, with authorities dividing the town of 25,000 residents into “danger”, “buffer” and “completely safe” zones, according to Indian media reports.
A total of 678 buildings in the town – which sits 1,890 metres (6,200 feet) above sea level – have developed cracks, authorities say.
Joshimath, about 490km (305 miles) northeast of the federal capital New Delhi, is a gateway to Hindu and Sikh shrines and is popular with tourists looking to trek parts of the Himalayas. It is also close to India’s border with China, according to Aljazeera.
“It seems 30 per cent of Joshimath is affected. A report is being compiled by an expert committee and it would be submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office,” an official said.
“Basic facilities in the relief camps arranged for the affected people in Joshimath are being constantly inspected by the administration and all possible help is being extended to the affected people,” said Himanshu Khurana, the district magistrate of Chamoli where the town is located.
Experts and residents have long warned that large-scale construction work in and around Joshimath, including for power projects built by companies like the state-run National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), could lead to land subsidence.
NTPC, India’s largest power producer, says its tunnelling and other work is not responsible for the cracks in the town.
Khurana earlier told Reuters that work on some border road projects as well as NTPC’s Tapovan Vishnugad 520 megawatt hydropower plant had been suspended.
“Six structures from across four wards have been found very unsafe,” Khurana told Reuters news agency. “We will demolish some unsafe buildings based on the recommendation and under the guidance of federal experts.”
