“These days, there are options for environment-friendly development plans. We can do the same as in other countries. What is the whole point of bringing such projects if the people lose their villages and livelihood,” Namboothiri asked
A resident shows cracks that appeared in a house, in Joshimath, Uttarakhand, on Saturday. Pic/PTI
Expressing concern over land subsidence at Joshimath in Uttarakhand, the Rawal or head priest of the famed Badrinath shrine has urged the authorities to stop the projects that harm nature and the people of the hilltop town.
“The developments in Joshimath are a matter of concern. There is no point in developing a project in such a manner that it creates problems for the ecologically fragile land and its people,” Easwaraprasad Namboothiri told PTI. He said the development works should be implemented by protecting the lives of the people.
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“These days, there are options for environment-friendly development plans. We can do the same as in other countries. What is the whole point of bringing such projects if the people lose their villages and livelihood,” Namboothiri asked.
An apparent sinking of land is being blamed for cracks developing in hundreds of houses and buildings in Joshimath, a town of 17,000 people situated at an altitude of 1,830 metres that serves as a crucial gateway to pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib, and draws trekkers in parts of the Himalayas.
Concerns over land subsidence in Joshimath mounted on Friday as satellite images released by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) showed that the town sank 5.4 cm in 12 days. As the images created uproar, the National Disaster Management Authority and the Uttarakhand government directed the ISRO and other state-run institutions not to interact with media or share information on social media on the Joshimath situation without prior approval.
Also Read: The hills are alive, and have been abused
On January 10, the Union Power Ministry summoned officials of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), which is constructing the Tapovan Vishnugad Hydroelectric Project in the region, to review the subsidence in Joshimath.A day later, the company wrote to the ministry stating that its project had no role in the region’s subsidence.
“Not only the NTPC project, but all projects that are harming the environment should be stopped. We should not destroy our sacred land. The Himalayan region is a delicate zone. This sacred land should be protected.”
Without taking any names, the head priest of the Badrinath temple said project works are often carried out “with a vested interest of earning profits alone”. “We need to bring development by protecting its common people. The life and well being of people are more important than such projects,” he said.
SC to hear today plea on subsidence
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea seeking its intervention to declare the crisis in Joshimath as a national disaster. Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati in his plea has said that the incident has occurred due to large-scale industrialisation. He has sought immediate financial assistance to the residents. “No development is needed at the cost of human life and their ecosystem and if any such thing is to happen, then it is the duty of the State and Union government to stop the same immediately,” the plea added.
760
No of houses in Joshimath that have developed cracks
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