Not only Joshimath, these tourist places in Uttarakhand also at risk of sinking (2024)

Nainital, Uttarkashi and Champawat, similar to Joshimath, are currently dealing with unmanaged buildings and periods of intense tourism. According to a research from 2016, landslide-related debris is present on 50% of the township's land area.

According to the 2016 study, the area's high rainfall caused the Nainital landslide. Since 2010, there has been an increase in rainfall in the region. The primary initiating element is an increase of more than 100% in the intensity of monsoon rainfall, which increased from an average of 33 mm per day (1995–2013) to 68 mm per day in 2014, the study added.

Geology professor from Kumaun University, Dr. Bahadur Singh Kotlia, used an analysis of the 2009 Balia Nala Landslide to pinpoint the town's risk. Since most of the land has very steep slopes, the slope pattern appears to be the primary cause of the calamity, says in a 2022 study.

Also Read: Uttarakhand’s holy town of Joshimath started ‘sinking’ way back in 1976

The tectonic structure of the region's mass movements is largely governed by the types of rocks present, the report adds.

Nainital, Uttarkashi and Champawat are extremely vulnerable to earthquakes due to the reactivation of fault lines and being struck by a tremendous increase in population and construction activities, India Today quoted Dr. Kotlia as saying.

What is seen at Joshimath can be repeated quickly and easily. Nainital, Uttarkashi and Champawat are severely exposed due to their poor foundations, Dr. Kotlia said.

Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, a former minister of education for the Union, earlier called for a geological survey in Uttarakhand's disaster-prone areas. "Uttarakhand is still very young. There should be geological surveys of many areas like Joshimath, Pithoragarh, and Uttarkashi which are prone to natural disasters. The government should worry about those places," Nishank said.

Also Read: Joshimath: Over 603 buildings develop cracks, 68 families relocated

Following reports of soil subsidence in Joshimath and the development of cracks in numerous homes in the town, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami promised to take the required steps to protect the district's residents.

"I will be visiting Joshimath in a few days and initiate steps to handle the situation. All the reports will be monitored and all the required steps will be taken. I have had a word with the Municipal Corporation chairman Shailendra Pawar to monitor the condition in the district," CM Dhami told ANI.

(With agency inputs)

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