Joshimath: Cracks in walls or ruptures in civilization?

Joshimath town is sinking. Roads, temples, and houses are cracking. Other parts of Uttarakhand are also witnessing the same. The crisis has eroded people's trust in the government, as evidenced by the area's mass protests. The immediate target is the hydropower project of the NTPC, which is constructing a large tunnel beneath the surface. The saddest part is the attitude of various stakeholders toward the crisis. The media reports are heavily biased in favour of the establishment, and the government is not ready to open a free dialogue with the people of the area and the country.

We are escaping from the stark reality that it is not a case of sinking land and cracking walls, but a signal of civilizational doom. The articulation may appear to be exaggerated, but a close look will reveal the truth in it.

Let us begin with the latest judgment of the Supreme Court on the issue. The Supreme Court refused to hear the petition on the ground that the Uttarakhand High Court was seized with the matter. The Chief Justice also commented, "You don't want to use this issue for social media sound bytes".

But the intervention of the High Court needs some elaboration. It endorsed the order of the local administration to stop construction activities in the area and asked the State government to constitute a committee of independent experts on the issue. It has also directed the government to file its report under a sealed cover and put the matter for hearing on May 24, 2023. The people are left with only the option of looking to the administration amidst a disaster that involves their survival.

A look at an earlier order of the High Court in July 2021 only disappoints. The court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation on the ground that the petitioners were motivated, and their credentials as social activists could not be established. The petition was filed for relief following the massive flash floods that ravaged Raini village on February 7, 2021. The disaster was caused by a glacier coming unstuck and a consequent avalanche in the Alaknanda River. The huge debris had flowed down into the Rishiganga River and damaged the small Rishi-Ganga hydroelectric project. It had spread to the Dhauliganga River to swamp the NTPC's big Tapovan-Vishnugad hydropower project.

The Raini village is just 24 kilometers from Joshimath. It is part of the Chamoli district, the district to which Joshimath belongs.

The High Court not only dismissed the prayer but also fined the petitioners Rs 50,000. The honourable judge called the petitioners "puppets at the hand of an unknown puppeteer.". It is interesting to recall that three of the five petitioners belonged to Raini village and were from the Scheduled Tribe community. One was a member of the Block Development Council, another was Gram Pradhan; and the third was the son of famous environmental activist Gaura Devi, who became a household name for her Chipko movement in 1973. Two others were Joshimath political workers for the CPIML and Congress, respectively.

Is there not a pattern in the remarks and decisions of the Supreme Court and the High Court? Do the comments on petitions not reflect a bias against social and political activists?

Other responses to the issue are also not encouraging. The report of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Joshimath was withdrawn from the public domain following a rebuke from a minister of Uttarakhand's cabinet. The ISRO report included scientific data on the increased rate of land sinking in Joshimath and the surrounding area. It certainly contributed to an informed debate on the issue. However, the Uttarakhand government took it as an attempt to create panic. The even more perplexing aspect is that the gag order was issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The organization has little authority to make decisions about transparency and information flow. The High Court order requesting a sealed cover report and the NDMA gag order both point to the same thing: a shrinking space in democracy for ordinary citizens, journalists, social activists, and political workers.

We must take a look at the response from Congress, the political party that ruled before the BJP. Congress has demanded the relocation of Joshimath to a safer area. The party has also demanded a ban on construction. The party cites the recommendation of the Mishra Committee of 1976 when a similar situation emerged. The Committee had recommended a ban on big construction activities, keeping in mind the fragile nature of the Himalayas.

Congress is also accusing the government of ignoring the warning signals and failing to take quick steps. The party, at best, is trying to appease the insecure people of Joshimath. The fact is that no State government followed the advice of environmental experts and ignored the demands of social activists who have been fighting against destruction. The majority of the power projects were built during the Congress's reign. The famous Tehri Dam was built by the Congress government. The dam is situated in a seismic gap in the Central Himalayas. The human cost of the project was also very high. At least one lakh people have lost their homes. They have been struggling for their survival and rehabilitation for years. The project witnessed huge protests under the leadership of Sunder Lal Bahuguna. However, the Congress government went ahead with the project without paying any heed to these protests.

Is Congress ready to revise its position on the development model? Is it ready to change course and go back to the Gandhian model? It is to be seen.

However, the question involves our entire civilization. Our response will guide the course of action to meet the challenge of climate change and its consequent threat to the survival of mankind.

(The author is a senior journalist. He has experience of working with leading newspapers and electronic media including Deccan Herald, Sunday Guardian, Navbharat Times and Dainik Bhaskar. He writes on politics, society, environment and economy)