BackExperts warn of ‘Joshimath-like’ scenes in other states - All you need to know
As houses crumble and hundreds are evacuated from the ‘sinking’ Himalayan town of Joshimath, activists and environmentalists have warned of similar situations in other parts of India.
PremiumAs houses continue to crumble in the ‘sinking’ Himalayan town of Joshimath, activists and environmentalists have warned of similar situations in other parts of India. Some cite activities such as sand mining as a lead-up to land subsidence. Meanwhile, alarm bells are already ringing in West Bengal's Darjeeling as houses develop cracks.
Incidents of land sinking in the Joshimath area were reported as early as the 1970s. The risks - flagged for decades by environmentalists and activists- came to the fore recently after land subsidence led to cracks in hundreds of homes in the tiny town. Simply put, this is a phenomenon where the normal ground starts gradual sinking due to displacement of underground earth layers.
According to an ISRO report, Uttarakhand's Joshimath sunk by up to 8.9 cm between April and November 2022. The process accelerated in the last week of December, with the Himalayan town sinking by 5.4 cm in just 12 days - triggered by a possible subsidence event on January 2.
Recent reports indicate that Joshimath is not alone. The list of potentially affected areas include several places in Uttarakhand - some with cracks already developing on walls - as well as areas in eastern India.
Recent reports by The Telegraph and Anandabazaar Patrika and other local publications suggest that the floors of houses are ‘sinking’ as the population density continues to increase. The densely populated mountain town also has hundreds of illegal high rises and is prone to landslides as it experiences heavy rainfall.
According to a report by The Telegraph quoting experts, the problem - while not of the same magnitude as in Joshimath - has persisted for quite some time in Darjeeling and nearby Gangtok (the capital of Sikkim). Here too, a slew of construction projects and the constant digging of the land have been linked to the gradual settling of the soil.
Meanwhile in Uttar Pradesh, the sudden emergence of cracks in a few houses in the Kanwariganj area of Aligarh have spurred panic. Locals blame the government for "shoddy" work while laying pipelines in the area under the Smart City project. The pipeline had reportedly started leaking, leading to the cracks.
The area is on the slope of a hillock, the top of which is known as Upper Kot. It is the oldest residential area of the city.
Others warn that activities such as sand mining - as seen in several parts of Rajasthan for example - can also lead to Joshimath-like incidents in the years to come.
(With inputs from agencies)
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