Dehradun/New Delhi: Last Monday, a sinkhole with a diameter of almost six feet appeared close to the Saklani residence in Joshimath. And again, the Himalayan town's inhabitants were paralysed with fear as they wondered "what next?"
On January 2-3, hundreds of Joshimath residents were forced to abandon their homes after they began to develop cracks due to land subsidence. They sought safety in nearby hotels, rest houses, and the homes of friends and family.
That was the middle of winter, and now it's the middle of the monsoon, but apparently not much has changed, as Anju Saklani put it. Constant rain caused the ground around their house to collapse, allowing water to flow inside.—Inputs from Agencies