Joshimath is hill station in Uttarakhand and it holds importance as a pilgrimage destination. It is located on the side of a hill in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The town is currently facing adverse affects of climate changes. There have been cracks on the roads and agricultural fields and people are worrying.
Joshimath in Uttarakhand has at least 570 buildings with cracks as a result of ongoing soil subsidence. Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Chief Minister, would shortly travel to the area to assess the situation while gathering expert opinions and formulating a strategy.
Why is the town sinking?
According to sources, Joshimath is built over an old landslide site. There is greater strain on this vulnerable Himalayan community as a result of growing urbanization. The missing scoop of earth discovered on Google Earth exemplifies Joshimath’s “slope problem.” According to researchers, historically, urbanization has made these issues worse by interfering with natural water drainage, undermining slopes, and causing uncontrolled water flow.
Families had to flee their homes on Monday as water began leaking out of the so-called “Joshimath rock.” A similar aquifer burst had caused water to spill into the town twelve years earlier. Aquifers are basically underground water sources. In Joshimath, careless building caused these areas to flood, which caused the ground above them to sink.
The affect on families:
Over 60 families have abandoned the town as a result of soil sinking, which is reportedly brought on by climatic and infrastructure changes. Officials reported that on Wednesday, the administration relocated 29 people to safer locations. Nearly 500 families are either putting their lives in danger by remaining in the homes or are scurrying around in the freezing cold looking for other places to stay.
According to the municipality, the impacted population numbers over 3,000. That represents more than 10% of the population. “The municipality is surveying each and every home. Additionally, many people have abandoned their homes “
People have also stepped out to protest and appeal to the government:
We have to wait and watch what decision comes out after CM’s visit to the town. Experts from IIT Roorkee are also on their way to Joshimath to figure out a solution.
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