Following a fortnight of denial, the Chamoli district administration has officially recognized new cracks in homes in the Joshimath town affected by land subsidence. According to the district administration’s most recent bulletin, Which was published on Monday, Joshimath now has five more homes with cracks than it did on January 20, 2023, bringing the total to 868 from 863. Residents have been complaining that there are more cracks than ever before. 

“We have been trying to draw attention to fresh cracks and widening gaps in our homes but the administration continued to claim the situation was the same no new damage was done” - Pranav Sharma, a Singhdhar resident. 

According to sources, in February 2023, there were reports of new cracks and expansion of old ones in many locations in Joshimath, particularly in Singhdhar. Joshimath SDM Kumkum Joshi stated that "certain cracks had expanded in certain areas of the town, particularly in Singhdhar," and that technical teams will conduct assessments in those areas again. 

The fresh cracks appeared in five new houses in Singhdhar municipal ward. There are a total 181 unsafe houses in Joshimath’s nine wards. Singhdhar ruled in the list by maximum 98 followed by 28 each in Gandhinagar and Sunil, 27 in Manoharbagh. Among the 868 total houses with cracks in sinking town, Ravigram ward has the maximum 161 followed by 156 such houses each in Singhdhar and Gandhinagar, 131 in Manoharbagh, 78 in Sunil, 55 in Parsari, 53 in Marwari, 40 in upper bazaar and 38 in lower bazaar. 

Sources: Click Here