Joshimath's land subsidence issue worsens, residential colony to be demolished: Report

In order to lessen the burden on the slope thought to be responsible for the situation in the town, the Uttarkhand government decided to demolish a residential colony that could not be retrofitted or repaired in Joshimath after demolishing two hotels.

The government made the decision to "mechanically demolish" the buildings in Joshimath's Jaypee Residential Colony on Monday. The colony has over 30 homes, many of which have noticeable cracks that, according to a resident, "seem to be getting bigger." Apart from these, even culverts with cracks will be demolished, according to the media report. A badminton court and swimming pool are also located in the colony and are in poor condition.

The chief secretary was given orders by the CM Pushkar Singh Dhami not to demolish any homes unless it was absolutely necessary, and to regularly interact with the community to find quick solutions to their problems. Himanshu Khurana, the Chamoli district magistrate, has been ordered to inform all interested parties that damaged structures must be taken down as soon as possible.

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The buildings would be mechanically demolished in a manner similar to the proposed demolition of Joshimath's Mount View and Malari Inn hotels. Ranjit Kumar Sinha, secretary of the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority, mentioned about the most recent development: "This time we went to the other side of Joshimath - towards Haathi Parvat - and tried to find out the depression and its likely solution," TOI reported. 

Team inspected JP Colony

One side of JP Colony in Marwari ward is damaged in a straight line, according to a team led by Sinha and composed of experts from various state agencies during the most recent inspection. Team noted that  Singhdhar and Sunil, which are at higher elevations of the hill town and are located above Joshimath on the same line, are also affected. The water has leaked along the same line where it appears that a stream called "Singhdhar dhara" was once flowing through the area, said Sinha.

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The Chamoli DM noted that an inspection to determine the precise number of these structures to be razed has began. According to DM, damaged superstructures, such as houses or culverts, must be removed as soon as possible.  On Monday, experts from the Central Building Research Institute in Roorkee and the National Geophysical Research Institute in Hyderabad began a "intensive geophysical survey" of the region in Joshimath.