Joshimath (Uttarakhand): More than five hundred houses in Joshimath region of Uttarakhand developed fissures due to land subsidence. As a result, several families left their damaged houses for safety reason and have taken refuge in the night shelter run by Joshimath municipality. The displaced people were leading a life of hardships.
As a precautionary step, the underground tunneling work at Joshimath and the construction work of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), besides the highway projects had been stopped. But cracks in houses were unabated. People are forced to stay in night shelters run by the Joshimath Municipal Corporation as the Uttarakhand administration has made staying arrangements for these displaced families.
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Speaking to ETV Bharat, Rupalal, a member of the displaced families, staying at Joshimath night shelter said, "The place where we are staying also comes under the danger zone. I took loans to construct my house. But we were forced to live like a refugee. The situation is very pathetic and alarming. We made a representation to PMO's portal on February 22, 2021 but nothing happened."
Yatendra Kumar, another displaced person staying at Joshimath night shelter said, "We were not comfortable staying here. The situation for us was similar to natural calamity. We are not happy with the present situation." Another woman staying at the night shelter said, "We shuttle between night shelter and home. During daytime we go to our dilapidated house and in the night we come to this place. Children's education has totally been affected due to the displacement."
Meanwhile, following the land subsidence in Joshimath, the Garhwal administration has instructed to immediately deploy a team of NDRF in the town.
