Joshimath SOS: The last gateway of Badrinath Dham and Hemkund Sahib, is collapsing!

Joshimath SOS: As such, tourism is considered an important means of economic prosperity in any area. But Joshimath, the last stop to reach the holy Badrinath Dham and Hemkund Sahib in Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand, is sinking into the ground due to the increasing number of tourists and the development taking place against nature.

Joshimath SOS:  Due to the increasing number of tourists, many projects which potentially are dangerous, are emerging with the commercial construction here. This so-called development being held here is responsible for the fatal situation. The condition of government apathy is seen to such an extent that despite getting indications about it five decades ago, all the politicians and bureaucrats kept their eyes closed.

The location of Joshimath

Located on the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway (NH 7), Joshimath, a town with a population of about 25,000, is an important stopover for travelers visiting the holy Badrinath Dham, Hemkund Sahib, tourist destination Auli, Valley of Flowers and other trekking routes. The  town is situated on the E-W running ridge to the south-west of Vishnu Prayag, which is also the confluence of Dhauli Ganga and Alaknanda rivers. It also has strategic importance because it is the center of advance posts on the Indo-China border.

Growing crisis due to careless system

Joshimath city is situated on a dense cover prone to landslides. This area has been slowly sinking over a long period of time and was formally reported for the first time in 1976 by the Mishra Committee. But it is surprising that even after almost five decades, the government or the administration did not pay attention to it. This is the reason that there is no study report or any data prepared scientifically under the review of the cases, which can help in assessing the condition.

Crisis worsened from the year 2020

After a long time, in the year 2020, the process of cracking started in the buildings of Joshimath. Which started increasing rapidly in February 2021 due to the floods caused by the rains. The situation has become so dire that the cracks in about 559 buildings of the city have started deepening in a terrible way. Due to which the Chamoli administration has to opt for closing two hotels here.

The survey was done in September

In September this year, a survey was conducted here by a team of experts constituted under the leadership of the then Executive Director of Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority, Dr. Piyush Rataula. In which it was found that the valley is sinking. Poor sewerage, rainwater and domestic waste water seeping into the ground created high pore-pressure conditions in the soil. Due to which the surface of the land is cut and the instability on the hill slope got increased. The huge amount of water collected due to the debris brought in the Dhauli Ganga by the previous flood increased the erosion along the left bank of the Alaknanda at Vishnu Prayag. It had an adverse effect on the city of Joshimath. Along with this, landslides are taking place due to seismic activities and rapid construction. Not only this, the quality of domestic construction was also found to be very poor at many places.

Regulated development

The committee had suggested that all construction activities in Ravi village, Sunil and Gandhinagar of Joshimath be stopped and if necessary, the families be shifted to alternative safe places. In relation to construction and other infrastructure, the instructions laid down in the National Building Code for proper depth of foundation should be strictly followed. Apart from this, it was recommended that a committee should be constituted for planning and detailed investigation on the problem of subsidence in Joshimath town. Along with this, the developmental activities happening in the area should be limited as much as possible. Apart from this, the risk should also be duly assessed before such activities.

Question on development plans

Local residents are blaming the tunnel built under Joshimath due to the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydraulic power project and the excavation due to the construction of the Helang-Vishnuprayag bypass for the possible disaster. The study has also revealed that the lack of drainage system of the city and the absence of protection wall along the Alaknanda river is a major reason for the problem too.

The experts’ opinion

Geologist Dr. Vikram Gupta of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology says that the problem of subsidence in Joshimath is decades old. From disorganized development to big projects can also emerge in the city, in which government projects can also be included. For this, there is an immediate need to work on a sound plan by assessing the potential dangers through an in-depth study since any kind of negligence can prove to be dangerous keeping the grave situation in view.

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All efforts will be made

Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana says that we are assessing the situation. A plan-report will be prepared for this. Since the work of its implementation is not possible at the district level, the help of the government needs to be sought. At present, we are making people aware of what steps they should take in case of any emergency. If required, the affected people will also be shifted to alternative safe places.