Joshimath is a place which many of us knew only as a stopping point on the way to the skiing destination Auli. Located in the beautiful Himalayas, this town suddenly became a point of discussion at a national level. The cracks, which developed in over 700 houses, have once again sparked a debate over human-nature balance, ecology-economy balance and how we don't learn enough from the past and respect nature the way it deserves.
But, for the people of Joshimath, these are not just some cracks in the walls of their homes, it's not just the surface of their homes caving and their town sinking. For over 25,000 people of Joshimath, these cracks mean being displaced from their roots, losing their homes, their shops, their hotels, and their only source of income. For them, this sinking town is a preview of their bleak future and an announcement of uncertain times.
After Joshimath, cracks appeared in houses in Karnaprayag of Chamoli district. (PTI image)
When a CNBTV-18 team reached Joshimath, we met Akhil Joshiyal, a young man in his mid-20s. Akhil works at the hotel where our team was staying at. After welcoming us and completing our check-in process, Akhil asked if we are from the media. He told us that he is one of the victims. His house is badly damaged. Some members of his family were shifted to the town's primary school, while some are living with other relatives as his ancestral home is not safe anymore.
Akhil said that he and his wife, Sheetal Joshiyal, moved in with a family friend. His mother, his two aunts and his cousins have shifted to the primary school, which is barely 10 feet from the house he is staying at.
Akhil showed how his family was living at the school. The women and children, covered in thick layers, were lying next to each other in one of the classrooms. Sharing her pain, Akhil's mother said she came to Joshimath around 30 years ago after getting married. She got emotional and said that this was their ancestral home and now she won't be able to live in it with her grandchildren.
Joshimath: Cracks appear at a house due to landslides at Joshimath in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, Saturday, Jan. 7 , 202. (PTI image)
She told CNBTV-18 team that it feels like she wasn't just shifted to a new place but it was like she was "uprooted" from the place. The family has got some blankets and ration from the government. They ignited a fire to survive this biting cold - without having their home's roof and walls to protect them.
The next day, the CNBC-TV18's team went to Sunil village which is located 6 km from Joshimath town. There, the house where a Shaklani family stayed, is one of the worst affected houses. The family has 14 members. When the team entered the house, they saw Neha Shaklani, who recently completed her graduation, talking to some government officials. She was giving them the details of the cracks and showing them some pictures of the house from when the cracks had first appeared.
Once these officers left, Neha told the team that her father had informed the local administration about these cracks six months ago, but not only he was told that it was his house which is the problem, but he was also mocked for pointing out that this could be a bigger issue.
Joshimath: Cracks in a house in the Joshimath of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. Cracks started appearing in the houses due to landslides causing panic spread in the whole city. (PTI Photo) (PTI01_06_2023_000013B)
Neha's sisters told us that they have been shifted to a nearby hotel, but they don't have a place to cook. Some family members are having difficulty eating the food provided at the camp. So they come to their house, which is in a dangerous condition, to cook. They also come here to feed their cattle.
The young women in the family said the government has shifted them to rehabilitation camps and is asking them to stay away from their house. But, they have their cows here and they need to be fed. They said they understand the risk involved in visiting their house, but they can't let their cattle starve as they don't have any other place to keep them.
The next day, the team saw the owners of Hotel Malari Inn and their relatives staging a protest outside the hotel. As per the local administration, this is the first building which will be demolished. The protestors told us that they sat outside their hotel for the entire night so that the demolition process doesn't start.
It's not just a hotel, the owner and his family live in the basement of the hotel. The protesters said no one has evaluated their property, there is no clarity on any compensation and that's why they are protesting.
Apart from this, almost every lane of Joshimath witnesses many families packing their luggage and going to their relative's places in nearby areas. "A heartbreaking departure," say these families.
There are over 700 affected families in Joshimath. These families want their rehabilitation to be on the lines of Badrinath rehabilitation. These people are losing their homes, they are scared, they are homeless in this biting cold, and they are angry that they tried to alert the government for 14 months but no one listened to them. They feel helpless. Amidst losing their homes and struggling for shelter, the people of Joshimath are holding out hope.
(Edited by : Akriti Anand)
First Published: Jan 12, 2023 4:43 PM IST
