Indian authorities have shifted nearly 200 people from their homes in the Himalayan town of Joshimath, an official said on Saturday, after hundreds of buildings in the area popular with pilgrims and tourists developed cracks due to shifting soil.
For years, experts have warned that large-scale construction work, including hydroelectric projects in and around Joshimath, could lead to land subsidence – the sinking or freezing of the ground surface.
Cracks have been reported in more than 600 houses in Joshimath in recent weeks, prompting local authorities to move about 193 residents to safer places, including hotels and guest houses, government official Himanshu Khurana said.
“The evacuation process is underway and a team of scientists from various institutions is trying to find out the reason and how to control the situation,” said Khurana, District Magistrate of Joshimath-based Chamoli district.
