Dehradun: An expert panel set up by the Uttarakhand government has found that several parts of Joshimath town in Chamoli district – the gateway to the Badrinath temple, Hemkund Sahib gurdwara, the popular hill station of Auli and the India-China border – are submerging. both man-made and natural factors. As a result, the government will draw up an action plan that could include building restrictions as well as relocating local residents from “vulnerable” areas, ThePrint has learned.
The panel’s report points to ‘ground subsidence’ – a gradual settling or sudden sinking of the Earth’s surface due to removal or displacement of subsurface material – which has induced structural faults and damage in almost all wards of Joshimath. ThePrint has access to the report.
The committee of scientists and geologists was constituted in July on the recommendation of the Chamoli district magistrate, following complaints from local people repeatedly about submerged areas and deep cracks visible on buildings.
“Though the government is yet to receive the report, based on the information provided by the committee members, a concrete action plan will be prepared on the engineering aspects as well as the relocation of people from unsafe places in Joshimath city,” said the state disaster. Management Secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha told ThePrint.
He further said that every household would be surveyed and if needed a final report of relocation would be prepared. “We have to resort to engineering methods to prevent soil erosion and slope stabilization of the city upstream of the Alaknanda River.”
As of 2011 India census, the population of Joshimath municipal area was about 17,000In which about 4,000 families are involved.
The expert panel has found that many parts of Joshimath city are rapidly submerging due to soil erosion, seismic causes and landslides.
“A detailed project report for engineering solutions will be prepared soon after the report comes to the government. No one will be allowed to stay in the dangerous areas of Joshimath Municipal Council. If necessary, permit the construction of new houses and other buildings in excessive [landslide and subsidence] Potential areas of Joshimath will also be cordoned off,” Sinha said.
However, local residents claim that the report failed to mention another factor which, according to them, is causing structural damage to buildings in Joshimath – an under-construction tunnel of the Tapovan Vishnugad Hydro Power Project, which passes under the city. .
Under Construction Project, which Received Environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in February 2005 devastated by a flash flood triggered by A glacial burst in February 2021. more than 200 people Workers inside the tunnels of Tapovan Project and Rishi Ganga Hydroelectric Project were reportedly destroyed.
In June, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in its investigation report into the aftermath of the 2021 Chamoli disaster, Told Given that many hydroelectric plants set up in the Himalayan region are located in an “environmentally fragile” region, the government may need to pursue alternative sources of energy in the long run rather than relying on hydropower from Uttarakhand.
What was the report of the expert panel
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Building Research Institute (CSIR-CBRI) Roorkee, IIT-Roorkee, Geological Survey of India (GSI), Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority and Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology are expert members of the panel constituted by the Government of Uttarakhand.
“The Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, which houses the township of Joshimath, falls in Zone V of the Seismic Zone Map of India and is particularly vulnerable to landslides. Joshimath is located on a thick cover of landslide material,” the panel report read, adding that the region was sinking slowly over a long period of time.
It further said that evidence of subsidence has been observed in roadside slopes in several places, as well as cracks and ensuing damage to some houses.
“Drowsing of roads and extensive cracks in houses have been observed along Joshimath-Auli road. Increased construction of residential houses, tourist resorts and small hotels is being witnessed all around Joshimath Auli Road. Its report was first given by the Mishra Committee in 1976.
The panel noted that the township slope upstream of the river is undergoing rapid erosion due to various reasons, thereby reducing the land area.
“On the sloping habitat of Joshimath city above that river, erosion of subsurface seepage by natural drainage, occasional heavy rainfall, periodic seismic activities and increased construction activities appear to be the main causes of land subsidence. Over the years, the burden of this delicate mountain slope has exceeded the holding capacity of the soil on which it rests. ,
The report also noted that rainwater and domestic wastewater flowing under the ground create high pore-pressure conditions in the soil, reducing its strength and resulting in slope instability.
Among other reasons, the panel’s report mentions nine drains passing through the township into the Alaknanda. These drains are spreading on their side, causing soil erosion and damage to houses built near them, the report said.
A member of the expert panel, Professor BK Maheshwari of IIT-Roorkee, has issued a video statement informing people that the team will assess the findings after talking to local residents and visiting various places.
“According to the local public, the damage to their houses and the Joshimath city sub-area was mainly aggravated after two incidents – cloudburst on 7 February and heavy rains in October 2021. However, there are substantial geological and geotechnical issues. Which we are probing,” he said. Said in the video.
Key factor ‘missed’, claim local residents
A section of Joshimath residents claim that the committee constituted by the government failed to pinpoint the main factors behind the changing scenario. According to him, the ongoing construction of Tapovan Vishnugarh Hydro Power Project of National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) is one of the main reasons for the damage to the buildings.
“It is true that Joshimath city has had this problem for a long time. At least two hotels have been partially submerged and collapsed over the years. Seismic activity and the fragility of the Himalayas are well-known reasons, but the huge under-construction tunnel of the Vishnugad power project that passes under Joshimath city is an important factor… However, the government is ignoring it. This could lead to major decisions in the days to come,” Bharat Kunwar, former president of Joshimath Municipal Council, told ThePrint.
Local residents like Atul Sati are now taking out their grievances on social media. “…This committee of scientific experts has not identified the Tapovan Vishnugad Hydroelectric Project tunnel passing just below Joshimath among these factors. [sic]Sati, who identifies herself as an ‘activist’ on her Twitter account, tweeted sunday.
When asked about the allegations around Vishnugad tunnel, Chamoli district magistrate Himanshu Khurana said: “I cannot comment on the impact of the tunnel. Only those who have studied it can comment on it. First I learned that some independent investigation had been done but a proper scientific study was needed.”
He further added: “We had received several complaints from people and civil society about cracks in houses and erratic drainage system in the city. Therefore, I requested the government for a detailed geological study of the city. I have also asked the irrigation department to prepare a drainage plan to deal with the situation.”
(Edited by Tony Rae)
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