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Locals took part in a protest rally against the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) project in the landslide-hit Joshimath town of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, on Friday.Local people allege that the digging of a tunnel (12 km) for the 520 MW Tapovan Vishnugarh hydroelectric project exacerbated the subsidence in the area. However, NTPC denied it.From Joshimath town, the tunnel is one kilometer away and at least a kilometer below the ground, informed state-owned NTPC to the power ministry, explaining its project has no role in the subsidence of the region.“The tunnel is at a horizontal distance of around 1.1 km away from the outer boundary of Joshimath town and vertically around 1.1 km below the ground level,” wrote NPTC in the letter, a copy of which was reviewed by news agency PTI.The town houses 17,000 people and is a gateway to Hindu and Sikh shrines and also draws trekkers. Here are some photos from the protest rally.
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Joshimath: Locals take part in a protest rally against the NTPC project in landslide-hit Joshimath town of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. (PTI Photo)
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Joshimath: Locals take part in a protest rally against the NTPC project in landslide-hit Joshimath town of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. (PTI Photo)
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Joshimath: Locals take part in a protest rally against the NTPC project in landslide-hit Joshimath town of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. (PTI Photo)
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Joshimath: Locals take part in a protest rally against the NTPC project in landslide-hit Joshimath town of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. (PTI Photo)