Hill states sitting on shaky ground? After Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh fears Joshimath-like crisis

In Himachal Pradesh`s Mandi, the locals alleged that due to the mountain cutting for the construction of a four-lane road in the village of Shalanal, cracks have formed in the nearby houses and the road connecting the village has been completely damaged.

The rapid development and construction work in the hill states appears to have disturbed the balance between nature and human development. While Joshimath is the latest example, Himachal Pradesh is also fearing a similar crisis in Mandi. People of three villages of Mandi district are forced to live in the shadow of fear in this chilling cold. The case is related to Balichowki Gram Panchayat Bhatwadi, a development block under the Darang assembly constituency of the Mandi district. 

The locals alleged that due to the mountain cutting for the construction of a four-lane road in the village of Shalanal, cracks have formed in the nearby houses and the road connecting the village has been completely damaged. The cutting of the mountain is being carried out for widening the Manali-Chandigarh road. 

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu recently said that nearly 30 per cent of the area in Kinnaur and Lahaul Spiti districts was experiencing cloud bursts, and there were reports of lands developing cracks and sliding. Fearing a situation like Joshimath, he also demanded the Centre to increase disaster relief funds.

In a worrying development, Uttarakhand's Tehri Garhwal is also facing land subsidence and locals, in fear of landslides, urged the government on to take cognisance of the issue and take necessary action. Landslides are happening in the villages adjacent to Tehri lake and cracks have increased in the houses above and near the Chamba Tunnel, putting over a half dozen families in danger, informed local people.

Under the All-Weather Project, a 440-meter-long tunnel has been constructed in Chamba and after the construction of the tunnel, cracks started appearing in the houses of Chamba Main Market.

"Our home was affected when the tunnel was only 3 to 4 meters. The sewerage system has also stopped working since then. We renovated the house and bathrooms but the new construction is also facing cracks and subsidence," said another local Dinesh Prasad Kotiyal whose house is near the Chamba Tunnel.

Meanwhile, sudden cracks in a few houses in the Kanwariganj area of Aligarh have caused panic among locals.