After Joshimath land sinking cracks appear in Aligarh houses

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Uttarakhand Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt inspects the landslide affected area of Joshimath in Chamoli district on Tuesday. Photo: PTI

Aligarh: Several houses in Aligarh, (Uttar Pradesh) have also started developing cracks and coming after buildings developing cracks in Joshimath in Uttarakhand, it has created panic among the local residents. Rakesh Kumar Yadav, Additional Commissioner of the Aligarh Municipal Corporation, said, "We will send our team and a probe will be conducted into why this has happened."

According to the locals, a pipeline was laid by the government under the Smart City scheme, which is now reportedly leaking, leading to the development of cracks. Houses in the Kanwariganj area have reported cracks and leaks. "It has been 3-4 days. We have intimated about the same to the department, but no assistance has been provided so far. We are being forced to live in terror," said Mansoor Ali, a local resident.

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Cracks appear on stairs in Joshimath area of Chamoli district. Photo: PTI

It may be recalled that cracks started developing in hundreds of homes earlier this month as Joshimath saw subsidence over a large area. Several families have been evacuated. Many were instructed to move into temporary relief centres or rent housing. There are 86 houses in the area demarcated as an unsafe zone. The Joshimath district administration has put red cross marks on houses in the sinking town that are unsafe for living.

Tunnel work for hydel project not responsible for Joshimath land sinking: NTPC

With Joshimath in Uttarakhand having been declared a subsidence-hit zone amid sinking of land and threat of the entire town sinking under its own weight, state-owned NTPC has clarified that the tunnel for its Tapovan Vishnugad hydel project has nothing to do with the situation prevailing there.

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Cracks appear at an indoor badminton court in Joshimath area of Chamoli district. Photo: PTI

"The tunnel of Tapovan Vishnugad hydropower project is also being held responsible for the landslide in Joshimath. It is clarified that the tunnel constructed by NTPC is not passing under Joshimath town," a statement issued by the NTPC said. The statement came after local residents in Joshimath held protests against the tunnel work for the project, blaming it as one of the reasons behind the gradual sinking of the town.

The NTPC said that the tunnel has been constructed with the help of a tunnel boring machine and currently no blasting work is being undertaken by the company at the project, which is being constructed on Dhauliganga river in the hill state.

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Repair work underway following collapse of a wall in Joshimath area of Chamoli district. Photo: PTI

"NTPC wants to inform with full responsibility that the tunnel has nothing to do with the landslide happening in Joshimath. In such an odd situation, the company expresses its sympathy and sensitivity to the people of Joshimath," the statement added.

On January 8, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had held a high-level meeting to review the situation in Joshimath and directed several agencies to come up with a time-bound plan to rehabilitate the people of the town.

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