Hopes of Joshimath Residents Sink; no Decisive Compensation Policy yet

The protest by the residents of subsidence-hit Joshimath town, in Uttarakhand, demanding a firm policy on rehabilitation and compensation for the affected families and an immediate halt of hydropower projects, entered the 68th day on Monday.

The Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, leading the protest, has demanded compensation based on the value of the damaged properties and accountability for the damage inflicted in the name of development.

Even the festival of Holi did not deter the protesters, who celebrated it while the sit-in continued in front of the district administration’s office.

The calamity has forced the affected residents to reside temporarily in hotels and hostels. As per the official data, almost 269 families were shifted to temporary shelters after 849 houses developed cracks.

The Uttarakhand Budget had allocated Rs 1,000 crore for improving the town’s infrastructure and rehabilitation. Subsequently, the Pushkar Singh Dhami government appealed to the Centre to provide a package of Rs 2,000 crore to support its initiatives. However, the Union government has asked for data and reports from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) before allocating a budget.

However, Samiti member and environmental activist Atul Sati said, “The organisation has been asking the government to release the assessment survey conducted in the area in January. It will reveal the exact situation.” However, no report on damage assessment has been made public yet, neither has the Centre provided any clarity on on whether it has received such a report.

It has been more than two months since the disaster, “but people still have no idea about their homes”, Sati told Newsclick over the phone. “The compensation is not enough. We want better compensation based on the square per area of the damaged properties. The two power projects responsible for the disaster are continuing. There is no accountability.”

Ukha Devi (36), who has a family of six, has been residing at a hotel since the disaster. “You cannot imagine the problems we face daily. My eldest son cannot concentrate while preparing for his high school board exams due to so many people moving around and lack of space. He has no space to study,” she told Newsclick.

Initially, an interim relief of Rs 1.5 lakh for each affected family was announced by the government after the locals protested on the streets demanding adequate compensation. But, there is widespread discontent among the residents about the “insufficient” amount.

Another issue that is upsetting residents is the officials asking for documents that date back to 20 years provided by the municipality for availing compensation. Residents say the municipality does not have the required documents, which has further exacerbated the challenges faced by the affected families.

Gauri Devi (35) and her three daughters stay in a hotel while her husband earns a meagre income from a private firm. Denying the government’s claim of providing interim compensation, she claimed to have received only Rs 50,000.

“The process is so tiring with officials demanding proofs like old water and electricity bills. Moreover, we have been asked to get stamps from 12 banks on the documents. This is ridiculous,” she told Newsclick over the phone.

In the first week of January, several houses in Joshimath cracked due to subsidence with experts attributing the cause to the construction of NTPC’s Tapovan Vishnugad Hydropower Plant and the tunnel boring for the Char Dham project. Besides, the town’s unplanned growth and the lack of a proper drainage system have also contributed significantly to the subsidence.

When contacted, State Disaster Management Authority secretary Ranjeet Kumar Sinha said that it was not the “appropriate time to respond”. The report will be updated once he responds.