"Cracks Increasing Every Hour": Panic in Uttarakhand's "Sinking" Town

Cracks have reportedly developed in as many as 561 houses in Joshimath as a result of continued land subsidence in the town, stated the District Disaster Management Department.

Following the appearance of cracks in the houses, a total of 66 families are reported to have migrated from Joshimath as of now.

"Now the process of increasing cracks in Singhdhar and Marwadi has started. Badrinath NH near Singhdhar Jain locality and JP Company Gate in Marwadi, near the forest department check post, is continuously cracking. This crack is increasing every hour which is worrying," said Joshimath Municipal Chairman Shailendra Pawar

As many as nine houses in Marwadi have reported cracks and at the same time cracks have started appearing in most public roads of the ward, stated the City Board Chairman, Joshimath. District Disaster Management Department has also reported cases of water seepage from underground in JP Colony, Marwadi ward of Joshimath.

"Cracks are also increasing on all the main roads of Sunil Ward due to which people are facing a lot of difficulty in walking," said Shalendar Panwar.

After continued land sinking in Joshimath, District Magistrate Chamoli has posted Joint Magistrate Deepak Saini in Joshimath.

Earlier in the day, in the wake of the news of land subsidence in Joshimath and cracks developing in many houses in the town, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that necessary actions would be taken to save the people of the district.

Chief Minister Dhami would be visiting Joshimath soon to take stock of the situation and initiate necessary actions. The statement comes in the backdrop of reports of huge cracks that have appeared in the houses of the area due to land subsidence which is known as the vertical sinking of land in an area.

"I will be visiting Joshimath in the coming days and initiate steps to handle the situation. All the reports will be monitored and all the required steps will be taken. I have had a word with the Municipal Corporation chairman Shailendra Pawar to monitor the condition in the district," said CM Pushkar Singh Dhami while talking to ANI.

Joshimath Municipal Chairman Shailendra Pawar said that huge cracks have appeared in the houses due to leakage of water from inside the ground in the Marwadi ward.

"I went to Dehradun to meet CM Dhami to discuss the entire situation. There have been reports that cracks have appeared in the houses due to leakage of water from inside the ground in the Marwadi ward," said Shailendra Pawar.

Meanwhile, people in the Joshimath Town of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand have been fleeing from their houses to safer places following incidents of land subsidence in the area.

The winter season and the danger of house collapse due to landslides have now become a major issue in Joshimath Town. Nine wards of Joshimath town have been massively affected by landslides. The cracks in the walls and floors of the houses in the city area are getting deeper with each passing day, sounding an alarm for people.

Shailendra Pawar said that more than 3000 people from 576 houses in the city area have been affected due to this subsidence. "All the houses are being surveyed by the municipality. Many people have also left their homes," he said.

Land subsidence has completely taken under its grasp the house of Madhavi Sati, the ex-Municipal President of Joshimath town area just like the other 574 houses in the town area, which have also developed huge cracks.

"I have no other option but to live in a ruined house," she said. She said that the DM of Chamoli also visited the area but no conclusion has been reached so far.

"The people of Joshimath are worried about the future of the city," she added.

Soon a delegation from Joshimath will be travelling to Dehradun to meet Uttarakhand Chief

Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami with the demand for rehabilitation for the people affected by the subsidence.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)