Joshimath demolition picks up pace, 147 buildings unsafe

Demolition crews worked gingerly on Saturday to bring down the two precariously standing hotels in Joshimath, which will take at least 7-10 days, officials said, adding that there are 147 buildings determined to be unsafe due to the shifting ground.

A group of 20 labourers worked on bringing down Malari Inn and Mount View, cutting down tin roofs with gas cutters and removing the wooden windows and doors, the officials said. The dismantling is being carried out in two shifts.

Five personnel from the state disaster relief force (SDRF) in each hotel also assisted in the dismantling process, said Harak Singh, an inspector with SDRF.

NDRF teams were also present on the spot. A team from Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) supervised the mechanical demolition.

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“We began the dismantling process at 7.30 am and will end at around 6 pm. Our 10 personnel (5 in each hotel) are anchoring the 20 workers involved in the demolition. We are breaking walls and roofs using hammers and debris is initially thrown on the road. It will be picked up in the trucks after the operation for the day ends,” said Harak Singh.

The administration had begun the process of razing the hotel Malari Inn on Thursday and the dismantling process of the adjoining damaged Mount View began the next day over fears that if one hotel is demolished at a time, the other would topple over. The two badly damaged hotels have been dangerously leaning against each other due to land subsidence in the town.

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As of Friday, 760 buildings in nine wards of the town had developed cracks and 147 were declared unsafe from where families were shifted to safer locations.

According to locals, the first signs of subsidence had appeared in October 2021 but the situation aggravated in December 2022. In the first week of January, various areas of the town experienced sudden sinking and several houses developed major cracks too.

Garhwal commissioner Sushil Kumar on Saturday visited relief camps and inspected a relief material storage centre.

According to families that live in damaged houses, cracks are getting wider each day but they haven’t been shifted by authorities.

Bhagwati Prasad Sati (76), one of the affected residents from Bahuguna Nagar, said: “My whole house is in shambles, but no notice has been served to me to evacuate. It is unjustified and the authorities are putting our lives in danger.”

Darban Singh, whose home has also developed cracks, said: “I have not been served a notice yet and will only shift elsewhere only after receiving compensation.

Surendra Deb, a revenue official of Karanprayag said, said not all residents are being asked to move. “We have served notices to eight families to vacate the houses that have become unsafe to live in. Since the cracks in other houses are not major, we are monitoring these houses constantly and will shift them as and when required.”

Pankaj Dimri, a member of one of the affected families, said, “The pillars on which houses are standing have tilted alarmingly and if all the affected families are not shifted soon, it could lead to a major disaster”.