The subsidence (ground sinking) in Joshimath (at an altitude of over 6,000 feet), in the border district of Chamoli, Uttarakhand, which has spiked at an alarming rate over the past few days, is shaping up to be the second major turning point in Uttarakhand’s history. The first was with the devastating Kedarnath floods of 2013. While the cloudbursts close to a decade ago caught our hill state by surprise, the current developments in Joshimath are a combination of ignorance and apathy. It is widely known that the land and ecology in Uttarakhand’s mountainous regions are incredibly fragile. The region also faces frequent natural calamities such as landslides, earthquakes and flash floods. Now, the news of a sinking town hangs over the state like a dark cloud.
Speaking on Joshimath specifically, the Mishra Committee Report — conducted in 1976 — concluded that the land upon which the town is founded is, in fact, a deposit of sand and stone, the remnants of an ancient landslide. The town is not actually built on the “main rock” of the mountain. The report also pointed out that undercutting by the currents of the Alaknanda river makes the area even more prone to disasters. The recommendations of the report never saw the light of day and over time, Joshimath witnessed rampant construction and unplanned urbanisation.
Fast forward to February 7, 2021. Joshimath was struck in the aftermath of a deluge in the Rishiganga and Dhauliganga rivers. This event is what experts are now suggesting likely triggered the current “sinking and cracking”. In October that year, Joshimath was battered by a torrential downpour of over 190 mm. Following the rains, residents noticed a movement in the cracks and more frighteningly, new cracks as well, with several cropping up inside homes.
Ever since Joshimath’s people have been pleading for assistance from state and district authorities to help mitigate the damage or find solutions to a problem that has literally entered their homes. The reaction of the officials was to turn a blind eye. Today, the town finds itself cut up, as if slashed by a dagger, with cracks measuring meters long and more than a foot wide crisscrossing it. On December 24, 2022, there were street protests across Joshimath. It took more than a year and clear, undeniable signs of disfigurement for the government to intervene. This begs the question: Could the current situation have been prevented or at least moderated if the authorities had heeded the people’s warnings? It would be easy to dismiss the current catastrophe in the long list of natural disasters in Uttarakhand. But we must not ignore the human element at play.
The construction of buildings must be highly regulated in sensitive like Joshimath, but as is the case in most towns across the state, this sensitivity is shunned for quick profits and short-term plans. Buildings, houses, hotels and resorts are constructed on land that is either unstable and/or easily washed away in the event of a flash flood. Over time, layers upon layers of new construction have only weakened the foundation in an area that was never firm, to begin with. Additionally, the construction of the 520 MW NTPC Tapovan Vishnugad Hydro Power plant has perhaps done more damage to Joshimath’s foundations than anything else. The project being constructed on the Dhauliganga river required a tunnel to be built that cut right through the mountain upon which Joshimath is located. Many residents believe that the town would not be facing the current crisis if not for the hollowing of the ground beneath their feet. Moreover, construction along the Helang bypass to build an all-weather road is also believed to have disturbed the mountain’s foundation.
For those outside of Uttarakhand, “Joshimath is sinking” might sound like breaking news. The truth is that the symptoms have been there for a while and people in the town saw this coming. Now with people on the streets, as the winter is yet to reach its peak, the government is acting in a hurry. Construction of the NTPC Hydro Power plant and along the Helang Bypass has ceased till further orders, and technical resources from nearby areas have been summoned to Joshimath to find a solution. Evacuation plans are in the works and the government has put in an order for 4,000 prefabricated homes to help the residents of Joshimath.
The overall mismanagement of the entire situation has led many to ask: Which town will be the next Joshimath in Uttarakhand? Dharchula and Munsiyari in the Pithoragarh district, Karanprayag in the Chamoli district and Bhatwari in the Uttarkashi district along with many others seem, unfortunately, on track to face a similar fate if urgent remedial measures are not taken. If anything, 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.
The writer is a social worker and the founder of the Dehradun-based SDC Foundation
