Joshimath Crisis: Demolition process of Malari Inn, Hotel Mount View begins

Joshimath, Jan 13 (IANS) The demolition work of Hotel Mount View and Malari Inn, which were identified as 'unsafe' and a threat to life and structures in proximity, in Joshimath, started on Thursday afternoon.

The electricity poles installed outside the hotels were removed by cranes on Friday morning. The new transformer has been shifted near the police station.

Initially when the demolition news broke, the owner of Malari Inn along with some locals protested against the decision but later agreed to it.

After two days of uncertainty, the process of demolition started on January 12. The police barricaded the Badrinath Highway at 3 p.

Along with the police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are also involved in the work.

The generators and water tanks were removed from the hotels' roofs.

The owner of Malari Inn and his family were present at the site for a while, and appeared visibly emotional.

Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana said that the hotels were being dismantled under the supervision of the CBRI team and the work would be finished within a week.

Along with the demolition, the CBRI team will assess the damage and prepare the design of the pre-fabricated buildings for temporary rehabilitation of the affected people.

The Disaster Management Secretary informed that the Army, ITBP helicopters have been deployed in Gauchar by the Centre to deal with any emergencies in the city.

Apart from this, the state government's helicopter has been kept on standby.

Secretary to Chief Minister R. Meenakshi Sundaram has been called back to Dehradun by the government. It is being said that some other officer will be posted in the city in his place.