Amid the ongoing crisis in Joshimath, locals have reportedly started putting up 'NTPC go back' posters across the town in protest against the state-run corporation's hydropower project that is considered to be one of the main reasons behind Joshimath's woes.
Around the time when media reports of the brewing crisis in the town surfaced, Joshimath had already been simmering with discontent against the government over ignored warnings about the town's vulnerability.
Now, in the latest round of protests against the state-owned power corp, locals are demanding a complete shut down and a "ban" on the NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad project, as per a report by The Times of India.
Speaking to the publication about the resentment among the 500+ traders and shopkeepers in the sinking town, Naini Singh Bhandari, the chairperson of the Vyapar Mandal Sangh in Joshimath, said that traders were "on the verge of killing themselves," adding that while the government had announced relief for residents, the town's trader community had been left with nothing.
Some traders also told the publication that they would be rather eke out a livelihood in Joshimath than go live like refugees elsewhere. That, traders believe, will only be possible if the NTPC's projects are banned to prevent further sinking of the town.
As it stands, the Uttarakhand state government has formed a committee to probe the reason behind the sinking of Joshimath and the cracks that have emerged in houses across the town. The commission will also probe the role of the NTPC.
Published 15 January 2023, 09:31 IST