Joshimath and neighborhood sinking up to 2.5 inches every year, study finds

New Delhi:

A two-year study by the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing has found that Joshimath and its surrounding areas are sinking at a rate of 6.5 cm or 2.5 inches per year. The Dehradun-based institute is using satellite data from the region, which sees a lot of tectonic activity and is very sensitive.

Joshimath, the temple town that was known to be ‘sinking’ for some time, reached a crisis this year due to massive cracks in buildings and roads. Cracks have also started appearing in another city on a slope of 90 km. Locals in Joshimath blamed the Tapovan project of the National Thermal Power Corporation or NTPC, saying it worsened the situation.

Satellite images collected from July 2020 to March 2022 show that the entire region is slowly sinking. The red dots mark the sinking parts. The data shows that they are spread across the valley and are not confined to Joshimath.

More than 110 families have left their homes in Joshimath and there are plans to evacuate the entire town.

But the demolition work was to begin today but was stopped following protests by angry locals. Traders and hotel owners in the city – which largely depend on the pilgrims’ traffic – said they were not informed in advance.

Thakur Singh Rana said, “I have no objection if my hotel is being demolished in public interest, even though it has partial cracks. But I should have been given notice.” today.

Uttarakhand’s junior minister and MP Ajay Bhatt, who has been sent to the state to handle the situation, said, “People have built their houses with their hard-earned money, but now they have to leave them.”

“Our priority is to keep everyone safe. PM is constantly monitoring the situation. Officers have been deployed, Army has been alerted. Cattle shelters will also be made,” he said.

The Uttarakhand government has said that apart from hotels and business establishments, 678 houses are currently under threat and only 87 of them have been evacuated.

The unfolding calamity is not limited to Joshimath. In Karnprayag, residents of Bahuguna Nagar, a town seen as a gateway to Joshimath, have reported massive cracks in at least 50 houses over the past few months.

The Uttarakhand government has said that it will look into the matter.