Joshmanth subsidence started many years ago, but since 2020 the problem has increased. In February 2021, hundreds of houses developed cracks due to the floods that followed the rains. In September 2022, a survey was conducted by a team of experts on behalf of the State Disaster Management Authority of Uttarakhand.
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sacred in uttarakhand Badrinath Dham And the last stop to reach Hemkund Sahib Joshimath People living in are in panic. There are cracks in the houses here. Gateway of Himalaya In this so-called city, water has started coming out from place to place after tearing the earth. Panicked people are leaving their homes and shifting here and there. At present, the Disaster Management Department has banned the stay of passengers in the hotel here and has made preparations to complete the drainage plan and sewer system. Although the people of Joshimath consider the negligence of the government to be the reason for this disaster, they say that when the Mishra Committee in its report in 1976 made it clear that Joshimath was slowly sinking, then why was the government still sleeping.
Joshimath sinking for 50 years
Joshimath of Uttarakhand has been sinking ever since it used to be a part of UP. An 18-member committee was constituted under the chairmanship of MC Mishra, who was the Commissioner of Garhwal at that time. This was named the Mishra Committee, which confirmed that Joshimath is slowly sinking. The committee had advised to fix the areas prone to landslides and landslides and plant saplings there. Army, BKTC including ITP and local public representatives were included in this committee. A meeting was also held in this regard on May 3 in 1976, in which it was said to take long term measures.
no alert government
Hundreds of houses in Joshimath have cracked. It is believed that this area is more sensitive in case of landslides. Although some people say that the under-construction Vishnugad hydropower project of NTPC being extracted from the tunnel under the hill of Joshimath is responsible for this. Apart from this, the digging of Helang Vishnuprayag bypass is also being considered as the reason for the problem. However, it has been revealed in the study that more problems are being caused due to lack of drainage system.
Apart from this, the ever-increasing number of tourists and unplanned development have also become a problem here. For the convenience of tourists, commercial constructions are being done here rapidly. There are many such hotels here, which have been built from 5 to 7 storeys. The special thing is that despite getting a warning five years ago, the government did not pay any attention to it. As a result of which the people living here are suffering.
The rains in February 2021 spoiled the situation
Joshmanth subsidence started many years ago, but since 2020 the problem has increased. In February 2021, hundreds of houses developed cracks due to the floods that followed the rains. In September 2022, a survey was conducted by a team of experts on behalf of the State Disaster Management Authority of Uttarakhand.
Poor sewerage, seepage of rainwater and domestic waste water into the ground has been said to have created high pore-pressure conditions in the soil, besides erosion in the left bank of the Alaknanda is believed to be the reason for the adverse impact on Joshimath town. Scientists said that there is no drainage system in Joshimath city. This city is on the surface of the glacier. Removal of soil by glacier or sewage water going into the ground, due to which the movement of rocks, lack of drainage system has increased the subsidence of Joshimath.
Joshimath is the Gateway of Himalayas
Joshimath is also known as the Gateway of Himalayas. The town is situated on the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway (NH 7). Travelers have to pass through here to go to places like Hemkund Sahib, Auli, Valley of Flowers etc. This city is to the south of Vishnu Prayag which is considered to be the confluence of Alaknanda and Dhauli Ganga. This city also holds strategic importance because of the advance posts on the Indo-China border.
ground water
The water coming from the cracks of Joshimath is coming directly from the ground. Joshimath Tehsildar Ravi Shah has confirmed this while talking to a news website. He told that water is coming out from place to place in JP Colony located in Marwari. This water is coming directly from the ground, there is no leakage of sewer line or any other pipeline. However, according to Ranjit Sinha, secretary of the Disaster Management Department of Uttarakhand, the technical team has considered the reason for the landslide to be non-drainage of water in Joshimath.
Municipality President Joshimath Shailendra Pawar says that Joshimath is continuously sinking. For the last one year, cracks are coming in people’s houses continuously. The ground is sinking and people are now forced to agitate because the government is not doing anything. Many villages of Joshimath have come under its influence, so it is compulsion of the people to protest.
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