Amid civilian fears in the wake of land subsidence in the Joshimath area, fresh cracks were seen on some houses in Bahuguna Nagar of Karnaprayag Municipality in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
Earlier, on Monday, Sitarganj MLA Saurabh Bahuguna said that other villages near Joshimath were facing a similar situation.
"Efforts are underway for rehabilitation of affected people in Joshimath. We assure the safety of the people of Joshimath. I have received calls about villages near Joshimath grappling with a similar situation. The chief minister will be briefed on the same," the Sitarganj MLA said.
Meanwhile, authorities will start demolishing hotels and houses in Joshimath, which developed cracks in the wake of the landslide and subsidence.
Hotels Malari Inn and Mount View, which have developed more cracks, will be demolished on Tuesday, officials said, adding that all residents have been safely evacuated from the 'unsafe zones'.
The demolition of buildings will begin under the supervision of a team of experts from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee.
A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is on standby to assist the district administration in the demolition work, as and when required.
"Experts are on the ground and the administration will take action on their directions and advice," said the NDRF.
Officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Disaster Management Authority met Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in Dehradun to assess the situation in Joshimath and underlined the need for ascertaining the location of underground water accumulation in the subsidence zone.
Water accumulation under the ground in the affected area is considered to be in Joshimath but the source of the water is yet to be ascertained.
The central team of officials also said a geological survey of the areas identified for the rehabilitation of the affected people should be carried out.
The help of scientists of all the institutions concerned will be taken to resolve the issue, they said and assured the state government of all assistance from the Centre in dealing with the crisis, Secretary, Disaster Management, Ranjit Sinha told reporters on Monday.
Joshimath, the gateway to famous pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib and international skiing destination Auli, is facing a major challenge due to land subsidence.
Joshimath is sinking gradually with huge cracks developing in houses, roads and fields there. Many houses have suffered subsidence, locals said.
Dhami has ordered immediate evacuation of 600 families living in houses at risk.
