"The company is responsible for the damage to the historic, cultural town of Joshimath, and it should compensate residents," says Atul Sati, the convenor of a group who has been holding protests to save the town.NTPC has denied the allegations. In a statement, it said its tunnel does not pass under the town and that it is at a "horizontal distance of over a kilometre from the outer boundary of Joshimath town".