INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
JOSHIMATH: Some of their tears dissolved in the steady drizzle as they stood in the cold, openly sobbing and singing songs of the pain of
Residents of Joshimath have been saying they don't want to move and that if the government is serious about their problem, it needs to find
a "permanent solution".Hundreds of residents gathered at the Joshimath tehsil premises on Wednesday, as they sang a Garhwali composition
penned by local artiste Jagbir Singh and praying to lord Badrinath to save them from their plight and not make them leave their
birthplace.1/20These photos capture the anger and helplessness in JoshimathPreviousNextShow Captionslt;p>A woman sits beside a cracked wall
of her house at Joshimath in Chamolilt;p>Locals protest against the demolision of the unsafe hotels and houses after cracks appeared at the
landslide affected area of Joshimathlt;p>As many as 131 families have been shifted to the temporary relief centres so far with 37 more
evacuated on Tuesdaylt;p>A resident gets emotional prior to leaving her house that have been marked unsafe by the district
administrationlt;p>Women break down prior to leaving their home that have been marked unsafe by the district administrationlt;p>People
affected by the gradual sinking of Joshimath rest at a shelter house after cracks appeared in their houseslt;p>At least 86 houses in the
area have been demarcated as an unsafe zonelt;p>People shift their belongings after their houses were declared to be in the unsafe zones in
view of the continued land subsidencelt;p>Hotels lean into each other as a result of the continued land subsidencelt;p>Located 82km
stairs in Joshimath area of Chamoli district
The town has been declared a disaster-prone area after large cracks appeared in homes and on roadslt;p>Cracks appear on the road as the
result of continued land subsidence in Joshimathlt;p>Locals outside the hotel where cracks have appeared as a result of continuous land
subsidencelt;p>A man walks on a pathway of a building damaged due to land subsidence in Joshimathlt;p>Workers disconnect the electricity
connection at the landslide affected area of Joshimathlt;p>SDRF and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering personnel inspect an area as
Uttarakhand administration prepares for demolition of hotels and houses severely affected by land subsidencelt;p>Stairs of a building are
severely affected due to crackslt;p>Locals protest against the government's decision to demolish the hotels after cracks appeared at the
landslide affected area of JoshimathPeople from Mana, which is the last Indian village on the India-China Border, also visited Joshimath on
Wednesday in solidarity with the town's people
How will we live in the plains? We can't live anywhere else
The government needs to come up with a permanent solution to save our town," said Pitambar Singh Molpha, pradhan of Mana village, around
Many people from Mana migrate to Joshimath during winter and spend around six months in the town.Even though residents are being assured of
shelter and food by the district administration, most people, especially those who were born here, are not convinced
"It's not a question of money or compensation
We'll be uprooted forever from our land
Our forefathers have lived in this town for hundreds of years, in the harshest of weather conditions, but never abandoned it in search of
Our lord Narsingh will protect us, don't push us out," said Narayani Devi, one of the hundreds of women participating in the protest.In
Uttarakhand, there is a tradition of local artistes portraying the pain of people, especially caused by natural disasters, through songs and
poems.WatchEverybody should believe that Joshimath will be saved: Uttarakhand CM Dhami
