Uttarakhand’s Joshimath town has officially been declared as a landslide-subsidence zone, with the state and central government working towards evacuating the families from the area since the ground of the town is sinking, leading to several safety hazards.
The ground of Joshimath town has been sinking for several years, with climate change and infrastructural projects taking a toll on the residential areas. Deep cracks were visible on the roads and houses in Joshimath, likely to collapse anytime soon.
The government ordered a survey of the town, after which it was officially confirmed that Joshimath is sinking. The main reason for the same has been considered to be the massive tourist footfall and construction projects in the town, leading to environmental complications.
While families are being evacuated from Joshimath following the sinking crisis, experts believe that a similar fate can be suffered by some other towns in Uttarakhand as well, namely Uttarkashi and Nainital, both of which have lakhs of tourists every year.
Nainital and Uttarkashi also at risk of sinking like Joshimath
According to experts, some towns and cities in Uttarakhand can face the same fate as Joshimath and can sink slightly below the ground, causing major structural damage and loss of housing for thousands of people. These cities are Uttarkashi and Nainital.
Experts have said that since Uttarkashi and Nainital also see a massive amount of footfall every year, as well as developmental projects in lieu of tourism, the risk of the town surface sinking is very real, similar to what is happening in Joshimath.
According to a study released last year, Nainital is situated in the Kumaun Lesser Himalaya and half of the debris covering the town has been generated by landslides, making it unstable. Dr Bahadur Singh Kotlia, Professor of Geology at Kumaun University, warned that the ground in Nainital can also sink.
As per India Today reports, Dr Kotlia said in the study, “What we are seeing in Joshimath, can very easily and soon replicate in Nainital, Uttarkashi, and Champawat, which are highly prone to seismic activity, reactivation of faultlines and being hit by a massive surge of population and construction activities. The foundation of these cities is very poor, making them very vulnerable.”
The central government has taken several steps to make sure that the people of Joshimath are safe and are moved to refugee camps till the time the situation is brought under control.
READ | Joshimath disaster: Rampant infra development main reason, climate change a force multiplier, says expert
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