The Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (JBSS) has blamed the NTPC for the land subsidence here in this Uttarakhand town.

Atul Sati, president of JBSS, blamed NTPC's Tapovan Vishnugad Hydropower Plant project for the subsidence.

The JBSS has said that people continue to be in a state of panic after hundreds of houses, shops and other establishments were impacted by the land subsidence.

Many people have already been shifted to safer places while the Uttarakhand government has also announced compensation for the affected families.

Those demonstrating have demanded that the work on the Vishnugad project be stopped immediately. They also submitted that the NTPC should be held responsible for the disaster and should be fined for it.

The JBSS has said that for the last 20 years, the Vishnugad project of NTPC has been opposed by people as they feared that it would have adverse effects on Joshimath.

"The government is hiding facts from the public. ISRO has also removed the report from its official site on the request of a minister," one of the demonstrators said.

Sati said the Vishnugad project is worth Rs 10,000 crore, and by imposing a fine of Rs 20,000 crore on the NTPC, the amount should be distributed among the people of Joshimath.

He sent a memorandum in this regard to the Central government on Saturday.

He demanded the Prime Minister should take the responsibility to deal with the crisis, and constitute a high-powered committee, so that an apt decision towards construction of "new Joshimath" and for the displacement of the affected people can be taken.

(KB/IANS)