Sinking Joshimath: Administration prepares to demolish precariously standing hotel

Joshimath (Uttarakhand) [India], January 12 (ANI): Owing to the land subsidence in the Joshimath area of Uttarakhand’s Chamoli, where buildings and structures are in a precarious condition after having developed cracks, a hotel named Malari Inn is to be demolished by the administration.

In preparation for the demolition the road near hotel Malari Inn has been closed and there is heavy deployment of police and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) officials. “There’s such pressure from the adjacent hotel building that my hotel is about to collapse. I am helpless, I can’t say anything. Can anyone be happy if their hotel is being demolished?,” said Thakur Singh Rana, owner of Hotel Malari Inn.

He also said that till now there have been no talks about compensation with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, adding, “I have no idea about compensation.”
Hotel Inn and Hotel Mount View, which have developed more cracks, will be dismantled in a few days, officials had said earlier, adding that all residents have been safely evacuated from the ‘unsafe zones’.

According to sources, the hotel owners plan to meet the district magistrate in their push for compensation.

Amid reports of two hotels damaged by the landslide and subsidence in the Joshimath, the owner of one of the hotels sat in protest with his family on Wednesday demanding compensation.

Speaking to ANI, Thakur Singh Rana, the hotel owner said, “My son stays in France. I can move there. But I am sitting in protest instead, in solidarity with fellow (Joshimath) residents.”

According to sources, the hotel owners will meet the district magistrate in their push for compensation.
Officials had earlier said buildings will be dismantled under the supervision of a team of experts from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee.

A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is on standby to assist the district administration in the dismantling work, as and when required.
“Experts are on the ground and the administration will take action on their directions and advice,” said the NDRF.

“They will be dismantling these hotels for the safety of the 15-20 families still living here. Our houses have been destroyed,” said Manmohan Singh Rawat, a local.

On Monday, District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana informed that a central team would arrive in Chamoli district to survey the damage wrought to properties by the land subsidence and suggest a way forward while coordinating with the local administration in relief and rescue efforts.

“A team from the Ministry of Home Affairs will come to Joshimath on Tuesday. Demolition of buildings will start tomorrow under the supervision of the team of Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) Roorkee,” Khurana had said.