DEHRADUN: Soon after the Uttarakhand government announced the Char Dham yatra commencement dates on Saturday, around 10 more large cracks were reported to have been found on the Badrinath highway near Joshimath.

The highway connects to the shrine town of Badrinath which is one of the most-visited pilgrimage spots in the Garhwal Himalayas.

The cracks, locals said, have appeared in a 10km stretch between Joshimath and Marwari.Sanjay Uniyal, office-bearer of Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (JBSS), a citizens’ group which has been highlighting the subsidence problem in Joshimath, said, “There are new cracks in at least 10 places on the Badrinath highway near Joshimath.

Contrary to the state government’s claims, old cracks are widening and fresh cracks are emerging too.”The cracks are prominent on the stretch of the highway in front of SBI branch, near railway guest house, ahead of Jaypee Colony and near Marwari bridge, residents said.

A small part of the highway has also subsided near ‘zero bend’ in Ravigram municipal ward of the subsidence-hit hill town, Pranav Sharma, a resident, told TOI.

Moreover, the cracks on the highway which were earlier filled with cement by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) have started to resurface, he added.Locals demolish houses due to the panic of mysterious cracks in houses in AuraiyaA senior geologist, who did not wish to be named, said, “The spots where the cracks have appeared must be investigated in detail by experts to establish whether there is correlation with the subsidence or not.”District officials did not respond to TOI‘s queries although Chamoli district magistrate Himanshu Khurana was quoted in a national media outlet as saying that “a team is examining the cracks and it is not a cause of concern”.Uttarakhand: Drone for medicine delivery in hilly regionsMeanwhile, Atul Sati, convenor of the JBSS, said the cracks are “a major cause of concern”.

“The Badrinath highway is already facing subsidence in the lean season.

We don’t know what will happen when thousands of vehicles ply on the road during the peak time of Char Dham yatra.”The portals of Badrinath shrine will open on April 27, while the pilgrimage to Kedarnath will begin on April 25, it was announced by the government on Saturday.A record 17.6 lakh pilgrims reached Badrinath last year, surpassing the 2019 turnout of 12 lakh.