Why is Joshimath sinking?

Why is Joshimath sinking?

News: Due to land subsidence, Joshimath which forms a key transit point for tourists travelling to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib developed cracks, causing panic and protests among the local population. 

What is Land Subsidence?
• According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), subsidence is the “sinking of the ground because of underground material movement”. 
• It can happen for a host of reasons, man-made or natural, such as the removal of water, oil, or natural resources, along with mining activities. 
• Earthquakes, soil erosion, and soil compaction are also some of the well-known causes of subsidence.  

Why is Joshimath sinking?
• While the exact reason behind Joshimath land subsidence is still unknown but experts suggest that the incident might have occurred because of unplanned construction, over-population, obstruction of the natural flow of water and hydel power activities.
• Not only this, the area is a seismic zone, which makes it prone to frequent earthquakes. 
• According to experts, Joshimath city has been built on an ancient landslide material — meaning it rests on a deposit of sand and stone, not rock, which doesn’t have high load-bearing capacity. This makes the area extremely vulnerable to ever-burgeoning infrastructure and population.
• MC Mishra committee report (around 50 years ago) was published and it cautioned against “unplanned development in this area, and identified the natural vulnerabilities.” 
• Reports have pointed out that subsidence in Joshimath might have been triggered by the reactivation of a geographic fault — defined as a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock where the Indian Plate has pushed under the Eurasian Plate along the Himalayas. 
• The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is building the Helang bypass that will reduce the distance to Badrinath shrine by about 30 km, using heavy machinery.
• Hydroelectric (HE) schemes have been sanctioned around Joshimath and Tapovan, including the Vishnugad Hydro-Electric Project and a tunnel boring machine (TBM) was employed for excavating the tunnel for the project.
• In 2009, it punctured a water-bearing strata and experts had warned that this sudden and large-scale dewatering of the strata had the potential of initiating ground subsidence in the region.

What could be the preventive measures?
• Firstly, relocating of residents to a safer place is necessary. The government has put in an order for 4,000 prefabricated homes to help the residents of Joshimath.
• Experts recommend that all development and hydroelectric projects in the region be halted completely. 
• Drainage planning forms crucial factor that needs to be studied and redeveloped. The city is suffering from poor drainage and sewer management as more and more waste is seeping into the soil, loosening it from within. 
• Experts have also suggested replanting in the region, particularly in vulnerable areas, to retain soil capacity. 
• The state government also needs to take scientific studies more seriously, which clearly spell out the reasons for the current crisis. Only then will the state put an end to its development frenzy.
• Lastly, the locals had been raising the issue of cracks seen in their homes since a while especially after heavy rains the place witnessed in October. The reaction of the officials was to turn a blind eye. Residents’ concerns need to be taken seriously as well by the government.  

Way Forward:
• The misfortune of Joshimath and its residents has delivered a stern warning: It cannot be business as usual anymore. Sweeping changes need to be made for survival. Actions must be taken today so that other small towns in the region do not meet similar fate as Joshimath.