Joshimath: Now, threat of boulders loosening, falling on homes

DEHRADUN: Residents of Joshimath are spending sleepless nights as mild boulder displacement has started happening in the area due to land subsidence, according to the locals.
Some of the residents claim that it has forced them to stay out the whole night out of fear, especially those in Singhdhar and Gandhi Nagar, who still have their assets in their houses.
"The cracks are widening here and we can see widening fissures in Sunil village, Manohar ward, while in Gandhi Nagar, there are some cracks surfacing close to at least two boulders," said Rati Lal, a resident of Manohar Bagh, expressing concerns that if the boulders on hills loosen due to the widening cracks, they might start falling and cause further damage to the town.
According to met department officials, Joshimath may see mild rain between January 26 and 27. The locals are now worrying about the possibility of a Turkiye-like earthquake. Monika, daughter of Gopal Lal, a resident of Singhdhar ward, in a video uploaded by the convener of Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti's Atul Sati on his social medial handle, could be seen anxiously saying, "Just like Turkiye, Uttarakhand will also see a major earthquake according to scientists. How do we trust the government which is saying that it is not a matter of concern? What if these boulders tumble down and fall on us at night, leaving us dead. How will our houses stay intact when these huge boulders are stopped by poles and the land below them is cracking due to land subsidence?" she asked.
She expressed that her father is facing "mental health issues" due to the ongoing crisis and that "there is no clarity" regarding their future. "My father is a labourer and he got our house constructed with a lot of hard work. He has lost his mental balance and keeps on blabbering. My brother is studying and my mother is old and unwell. What is our future in this condition?" she asked.
In Sunil village, people claimed that "the cracks which were visible in August last year have further widened, and have not shrunk."
A team from the district administration had gone to inspect the area in Gandhinagar on Wednesday. It was said to be a regular visit. "It was an inspection in accordance with our daily survey activity and nothing new," said Kuldeep Rawat from the district administration.
Meanwhile, at least 40 families of Urgam valley have been given the part of instalment of rehabilitation package according to the district administration team. Some 20km away from Chamoli district, the Urgam valley residents had opted to move out from the place due to the fragility of the Chamoli landscape.