Sinking Joshimath Sees Army Troops Being Moved: 10 Latest Developments

"25 to 28 buildings of the army have developed minor cracks and the soldiers have been temporarily relocated," the Army chief said.

If needed, said General Pande, the troops would be permanently relocated to Auli, he said.

The Army Chief said over 20 military installations around Joshimath have "medium to minor damage."

"We remain prepared to relocate more units if required, but our operational preparedness remains intact," General Pande said in an annual address. "There has been no impact on our readiness."

Joshimath is the gateway town for pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and has seen rapid, unplanned infrastructure growth alongside massive tourist footfalls. This has damaged its ecosystem and triggered frequent landslides and flash floods.

The area is also a key Indian garrison center to defend a large portion of the 3,488-km border with China known as the Line of Actual Control or LAC. India has over 20,000 troops and military hardware in the area.

Gaping cracks have appeared in more than 700 buildings in the town that is home to a population of 20,000. Many buildings are on the verge of collapse.

A Hindu religious leader's petition before the Supreme Court seeks to stop the construction of a hydroelectric project that many locals say is causing the sinking.

The petition asks the court to stop work on a tunnel being built by state-run NTPC for its nearby hydroelectric power project. The Supreme Court will hear the petition on Monday.

The crisis has reignited a decades-old development versus environment debate in the region. The petition wants the tunnel to be examined and approved by a panel of geologists, hydrologists and engineers.