Uttarakhand News: Months after Joshimath witnessed large-scale land subsidence, over 2 dozen villages in Uttarakhand's Bageshwar district have a similar and 'alarming' tale to tell with cracks developing in the walls and ceilings of the houses. The residents have blamed the rampant, large scale and unhindered soapstone mining for the wide cracks in their houses.
Residents have blamed the mining contractors for leaving the excavating ditches, untreated, and violating mining norms by blasting and using heavy machinery for digging. According to a senior mining department official, despite a halt in mining activities which came two years ago, new cracks were discovered in Kanda village.
"Despite mining being stopped in the area two years ago, we found at least seven to eight houses in Kanda village with cracks still appearing on the walls and ceilings," said District Mining Officer Jigyasa Bisht, who visited the village on September 3 along with a geologist and revenue officials, reported PTI.
The latest iteration in Uttarakhand's continued woes came as over 1,000 people left Joshimath after massive cracks appeared in the houses and other establishments in 2023.
"The administration became aware of the latest threat after locals raised the issue during a janata darbar at the Bageshwar collectorate. However, the National Green Tribunal has yet to acknowledge any such incident in the district, according to Bisht."
The officer further added that houses in over 25 villages, adjacent to areas where mining is still going on, developed cracks.
ALSO READ: Karnataka: Rape-Murder Of 19-Year-Old Tribal Girl Sparks Protests In Bidar; Three Arrested
One-Fourth Villages At Grave Subsidence Risk: Locals
Meanwhile, local residents said that out of 402 villages in the district, over 100 face the threat of gradual subsidence. Shikha Suyal, Bageshwar's district disaster management officer, said more than 131 families in 11 villages had been identified for rehabilitation as landslides were endangering their habitation.