Joshimath Sinking: Land subsidence has nothing to do with Tapovan project, says NTPC

Noting that it is wrong to relate the land subsidence in Joshimath with the Tapovan Vishnugad Hydroelectric Project, a senior NTPC official has said that the tunnel is being built under "a competent rock" and it does not affect the surrounding rock mass.

Chamoli (Uttarakhand):A senior NTPC official on Wednesday disregarded the relation between the Joshimath subsidence and Tapovan Vishnugad Hydroelectric Project and said that tunnel is being built under "a competent rock" and it does not affect the surrounding rock mass. "It is wrong to relate the situation in Joshimath with the NTPC tunnel since it is being constructed with the help of a tunnel boring machine. Out of the 12 km long tunnel, 8.5 km tunnel is being done by tunnel boring and the rest will be done by blasting. The tunnel does not pass through Joshimath," said Rajendra Prasad Ahirwar, head of the Tapovan project.

The statement came after the locals in Joshimath had slated the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) project and held a protest with posters against the protest. Ahirwar said the hydroelectric project should not be linked with the present situation in the Uttarakhand hill town. "The tunnel is being built under the rock, a very competent rock. Tunnel boring rock does not affect the surrounding rock mass so it is not possible that it will affect the current situation in the situation," he said.

Asked about the resistance by the locals, Bhuvnesh Kumar, Addl GM Geology, NTPC, also said that the claims are baseless and that there is no link between the two. "Land subsidence is an old issue here and this tunnel (an NTPC project) has no connection with it. This 12 km tunnel is dug by a boring machine," he said, adding that the authorities carry out detailed studies before projects are sanctioned.

Referring to the Mishra Committee report in 1976 that Joshimath town is located on landslide material, Kumar said NTPC was not in the picture then. The locals held a protest on January 10 and demonstrated against the NTPC's Tapovan Vishnugad Hydroelectric Project.

The construction at the project has meanwhile been stopped till further orders. The protesters held banners of Mahila Mangal Dal and Panchayat Selang and protested across the streets.

Disaster Management Secretary Dr Ranjit Kumar Sinha on Tuesday said a deadline has been given to various central technical institutions to compile a study report of the area affected by subsidence in Joshimath. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Sinha said a total of 2,190 people in Joshimath and 2,205 in Pipalkoti have been shifted to temporary relief camps

The Disaster Management secretary added that the land of the Horticulture Department near the TCP crossroad of Joshimath has been identified for the construction of model pre-fabricated huts for people rescued from the subsidence-hit areas. (With Agency Inputs)