Joshimath's base is sinking; residents demand immediate rehabilitation

Dehradun: Joshimath residents on Monday said that the base of the town is sinking but the government is unmoved with their pleadings for mass rehabilitation.

"We have been demanding our immediate rehabilitation for a year but we are not being heard," convenor of Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti Atul Sati told reporters here.

"Joshimath's base is sinking. Cracks have appeared in over 500 houses. People are supporting their houses with bamboo poles and covering the chinks with rags. But the state government is unfazed," he said.

Joshimath is the last border town of strategic, religious, and tourist importance which falls into seismic zone V, he said.

If an earthquake occurs, it will cause grave damage to life and property, Sati warned.

A team of experts has also conducted a survey of the town and found that it is gradually sinking with huge cracks appearing in a large number of houses.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has sought a report from Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana on the matter saying that corrective steps will be taken once it comes.