Joshimath land subsidence: Protests stall demolition of 2 hotels; 86 houses found ‘unsafe’

A team of the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), which has been roped in for the demolition, conducted a survey of the two hotels on Tuesday. While the demolition work was set to begin in the evening, the owner of Malari Inn and some residents held protests, stopping the CBRI and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel from entering the hotel.

Protest outside hotels Malari Inn and Mount View at Joshimath. Hotel owners and locals protesting against the government step to demolish the hotels.
They are demanding compensation as per the Badrinath Dham master plan. #Joshimath #Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/zPFINddzg9

— Avaneesh Mishra (@itsmeavaneesh) January 10, 2023

Speaking to The Indian Express, CBRI Chief Scientist D P Kanungo, who is heading the team, said they planned to carry out a “mechanical” demolition, with no use of explosives. Kanungo was part of the team which carried out the demolition of the Supertech twin towers in Noida last year.

“The foundation of the first hotel (Malari Inn) has left the ground and thus the damage is irreparable. The hotel has shifted its weight on the other hotel, so the other hotel is damaged too. This is why a safe mechanical demolition of these two buildings is mandatory. We have gone inside both the buildings and have made a detailed plan. Our first priority is the safety of other buildings near and below the two hotels, and of the workers going inside the buildings to conduct the demolition,” said Kanungo.

He said the demolition process would be carried out in steps, from the top to bottom, and is estimated to take three-four days. Hotel Malari Inn will be demolished first.

“We will be using concrete cutters and other equipment to cut and remove parts of the building, as using explosives is not possible here. To ensure all our workers are safe, we will maintain a list of workers going inside, and check that list after every shift. Barricades will be set up behind the buildings so that no debris falls and damages other structures.” he said.

A temple collapses after the gradual ‘sinking’ of Joshimath in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. (PTI)

Kanungo said his team had not found any cracks on the walls of the two buildings so far, so it is considered safe for the workers to enter and work inside.

Asked about the likelihood of other structures being demolished too, Kanungo said the administration has only issued directions regarding these two buildings so far.

Deep cracks on the ground have caused one of the hotels (Malari Inn) to be almost separated from its foundation, as a result of which it has tilted towards the other hotel (Hotel Mount View).

According to latest data available with the Chamoli district administration, cracks have been reported in 723 houses, while 86 houses have been identified as unsafe so far. A total of 131 families, adding up to 462 people, had been moved to the temporary shelters till Tuesday.

People affected by the gradual ‘sinking’ of the houses wait with their belongings for evacuation at Joshimath. (PTI)

Meanwhile, the residents, including the owners of the two hotels, have demanded compensation as per the rates listed under the Badrinath Dham redevelopment masterplan. According to district officials, the Badrinath masterplan provides compensation which is twice the circle rate.

A district administration official said they have only been directed to demolish the two hotels, and no official discussions have been held on a compensation plan.

A man shows the cracks that appeared at his house in Joshimath. (PTI)

Speaking to The Indian Express in the morning, Thakur Singh Rana (63), the owner of Malari Inn, said he had not received any notice about the demolition, and only came to know about it through media reports. While he was issued a notice later in the day, there was no confirmation on the compensation so far.

Rana said the hotel, which has 28 rooms, was constructed in 2011. He claimed he had spent Rs 4-5 crore on its construction.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary S S Sandhu held a meeting with the concerned officials to assess the situation and directed Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana to carry out evacuation in the affected areas. He directed the district administration to demolish the worst affected buildings on a “priority basis”.

Families move to shelters in Joshimath. (Express photo by Avaneesh Mishra)

“To ensure no lives are lost, all the affected families should be shifted and buildings that could prove to be dangerous should be demolished on a priority basis. Proper arrangements should be made at the temporary shelters and there should be no communication gap between the affected people and the administration,” he said, according to an official statement.

Directions have also been issued to shift cellphone towers to safe places so that mobile networks are not affected. Sandhu directed the district administration to set up assessment committees and include residents in them.

Also Read in Gujarati: Click Here