JOSHIMATH: Terming the incident a "man-made disaster", the residents of Uttarakhand's sinking town of Joshimath blamed the National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd. (NTPC) for the ongoing land subsidence in the region.
Unhappy with the state government's decisions, the Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (JBSS) has demanded the closure of the NTPC's Tapovan project.
On the occasion of Republic Day, locals have decided to 'gherao' the authorities and lock down the tunnel work, under which ward-wise programs will start from Tuesday.
Atul Sati, convenor of Sangharsh Samiti, said, "Now that evidence has been received, NTPC is solely responsible for this tragedy and the destruction of Joshimath's cultural heritage. Therefore, the compensation should also be recovered from NTPC."
The committee members also unanimously decided there should be displacement along the lines of Tehri Dam.
Sangharsh Samiti convener Atul Sati also alleged that since the Joshimath tragedy case has gone out of the hands of the Dhami government, the central government will have to take a consensus and swift action at the earliest.
The Sangharsh Samiti leaders also expressed anguish over the manner in which relief cheques were being distributed and called the photo-ops "a cruel joke on the disaster victims."
Expressing his anguish to this correspondent, Vivek Panwar, a resident who has been associated with the profession of trekking and skiing for the past 15 years, said, "It is very important for the state government to make arrangements for the residence and employment of Joshimath residents as well as understand their feelings before they are displaced."
"You have ruined our business...our Joshimath," he added.