Joshimath, where a hydro power project played havoc

New Delhi: As evacuations gathered pace in disaster-hit Joshimath where cracks have appeared in hundreds of buildings, experts blamed land subsidence due to the National Thermal Power Corporation's Tapovan Vishnugad Hydro Power Project as the main reason for this and felt people are messing up with the environment to an extent that is irreversible.

They said rampant infrastructure development without a plan is making the Himalayan ecosystem even more vulnerable to the effects of climate change which acts as a force-multiplier.

Joshimath is the gateway to some renowned pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib. Chamoli District Magistrate (DM) Himanshu Khurana on Sunday told PTI that over 60 families living in uninhabitable houses have been moved to temporary relief centres.

Considering the extent of the damage, at least 90 more families will have to be evacuated as soon as possible, Kumar said. There are a total of 4,500 buildings in Joshimath and 610 of these have developed huge cracks, making them unfit for habitation.

Prof. Y P Sundriyal, Head of Department, Geology, HNB Garhwal University, said: "The government has not learnt anything from the 2013 Kedarnath floods and the 2021 Rishi Ganga flash flooding. The Himalayas is a very fragile ecosystem.''