Nearly 200 people in Himalayan town evacuated after homes develop cracks

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows Dhauliganga river flowing in Chamoli district, in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, February 12, 2021. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo

LUCKNOW (Reuters) - Indian authorities have moved nearly 200 people from their homes in the Himalayan town of Joshimath, an official said on Saturday, after hundreds of buildings in the area popular with pilgrims and tourists developed cracks due to shifting soil.

For years, experts have warned that large-scale construction work, including hydro power projects, in and around Joshimath could lead to land subsidence - the sinking or settling of the ground surface.