Joshimath - The Sinking Himalayan Town

A place in the foothills of the Himalayas best known for being the winter abode of lord Badrinath, a resting spot for tourists visiting the Valley of Flowers and Auli, and a podium ground for armies headed to the India-China border, Joshimath is more than just a quiet picturesque town. In fact, the place is becoming a curse for the entire Uttarakhand. The panoramic hills are literally moving and Joshimath is actually sinking.

 

Location

Joshimath, also known as Jyotirmath is a town in Chamoli District of Uttarakhand which is located at the footsteps of Himalaya at a height of 6150 feet (1875 m). It is the gateway of several Himalaya Mountain climbing expeditions and trekking trials like Badrinath. 

This town has a total population of 48202. It is one of the major attractions of tourists since the town houses the famous Badrinath Temple, Nara Singh Temple etc. Also, it is a great escape from the sizzling heat of the summer and a great viewpoint for the snowfall in winter. The landscape, this place offers is undeniable.

Source: Telegraph

The Sinking Joshimath

But to the utmost grief, Jyotirmarh is now sinking. A part of the Nanda Devi

Glacier, broke off in Nanda Devi National Park of Chamoli District on 7^th February 2021, causing a flash flood in the Rishiganga River which affects lots of villages of Chamoli District. In the aftermath of the floods, residents began noticing cracks in homes, eventually, over 600 houses were evacuated after a local temple collapsed. Eventually, over 700 of approximately 4500 structures would show cracking and the streets and paved areas in the affected area also showed cracking. The Authority of Joshimath classified zones within the town as “danger”, “buffer” and “completely safe”.

It was all peaceful and as usual in the city until the last few months of 2022 when forces of nature started to push about and citizens commenced to protest. Their homes and all other artificial structures in the city started growing cracks. Experts say looking at the current scenario, the city has been under the threat of a huge disaster waiting to happen.
 
 

Source: CNN

The Upcoming Danger

A two years study released in 2023 by the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing used satellite sensing to determine that the area is sinking up to 6.5 (2.6 inches) cm every year. The fear of landslides and sinking has developed fear in the tourists and therefore has resulted in a drastic decline in tourist visitation.

Joshimath was always prone to earthquakes as the province falls in the seismic zone V. What really made things worse is the fragile basis of the city. Every structure needs a powerful foundation, but Joshimath, which has a population of over 20,000 people, apart from the heavy tourist inflow, has none. The debris has angular residues, which are worse than river-deposited sediments. These sediments have emptiness, making them excessively unstable, geologically.

What Next?

What's happening in Joshimath can be expected to happen anytime in other cities like Nainital, Champawat, and UttarKashi. All these cities are having the same malfunctioning as in Joshimath. Problems like deforestation, population growth, and civil mismanagement can be observed in these cities as well.

Whatever we humans do, is reflected by nature in its own way. We are currently harvesting the same as we sowed. So, the only thing we can do is cooperate with nature and take care of it while developing new cities and towns. 

Written by- Sanchit Das

Edited by- Nidhi Jha