Plea to Save Sinking Himalayan Town Reaches Top India Court
- Hundreds of Joshimath homes have cracks, unfit for habitation
- Religious leader says NTPC’s project led to ecological damage
Source: AFP/Getty Images
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India’s top court will hear a petition next week seeking to halt construction of a hydroelectric project that it says is sinking the Himalayan town of Joshimath as the crisis reignites the development versus environment debate.
The Supreme Court of India will hear a plea from a local Hindu religious leader on Jan. 16 after land subsidence — gradual sinking due to displacement of underground earth layers — led to cracks in more than 600 buildings in the tiny town located in the north Indian hilly state of Uttarakhand. The petition, which comes after cracks intensified in the past few weeks, also wants an insurance cover for and rehabilitation of displaced residents.