Spiritual town Joshimath battles a sinking feeling

The subsidence itself is not new either, first flagged in the 1976 state government-appointed Mishra Commission report. But its aggravation over the past two years, causing cracks in homes, rendering them unstable and prompting some to flee, calls for urgent action.

For decades on end, the town of Joshimath has been a centre of faith, and a spiritual getaway in the mighty Himalayas. Located on National Highway 7, at a height of 6,150 feet, it is the doorway to the holy shrines of Badrinath and Hemkund Saheb, and the picturesque Valley of Flowers, and Auli. It has strategic significance too; home as it is to the Joshimath Cantonment, permanent station of the Garwhal Scouts, close to the Indo-Tibetan Border. For the past few weeks though, Joshimath has a dangerous new identity for its 20,000 residents — a town that they fear is sinking.

Increased subsidence over the past two years has led to cracks in houses, rendering them unstable. (HT Photo)

For the past week, residents of the municipal town in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district have been protesting against land subsidence, a process of land sinking or settling of the ground surface. The Joshimath Bachao Sangarsh Samiti has claimed that ground fissures have affected to close to 500 houses over the past two years, primarily in the Ravigram and Kamet-Marwari Nala areas, caused cracks in the Joshimath-Auli ropeway, and rendered several homes at the risk of collapsing under their own weight.

The reasons for this subsidence, experts believe, is not new; haphazard construction on fragile mountain terrains that have loose rock, the seepage of water subsurface, an erosion of top soil, and local streams changing their course because of man-made factors that block their natural flow. The town is geologically sensitive, situated on an east-west running ridge to the south-west of Vishnuprayag, the confluence of the Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers. The gneissic rocks in Joshimath are highly weathered with low cohesive value.

The subsidence itself is not new either, first flagged in the 1976 state government-appointed Mishra Commission report. But its aggravation over the past two years, causing cracks in homes, rendering them unstable and prompting some to flee, calls for urgent action.

Local voices

In Joshimath, 71-year-old Bhagwati Prasad Kaparwan has half an acre of agricultural land and a home in Manohar Bagh, both of which have developed cracks in the past two years. “The agricultural land and the house in which I live is facing land subsidence with huge cracks developing over last two years. We want the government to initiate action in the area.”

In the neighbouring Gandhinagar area, 34-year-old Kailash Joshwal has seen eight families that live around him leave in the past year. “They resided in this area, and left this year because of the continuous sinking, and the cracks that have developed in their homes. Living here is becoming more and more dangerous,” Joshwal said.

Shailendra Panwar, who is the president of the municipal board in Joshimath, says that at least 500 families have been affected by the subsidence. “The number is increasing on a regular basis. Given the lackadaisical approach of the government, people here have decided to start an agitation to press the government to take this matter seriously.”

Panwar said that he apprised the Uttarakhand government on December 21 this year of fissures that have started developing around the towers of the Joshimath-Auli ropeway. “This can be dangerous to tourists. Hence all such operations should be stopped immediately until remedial measures are undertaken,” he said.

Dikka Devi Joshwal, member of municipal ward 1 in Joshimath, said that 14 families in his jurisdiction alone have left. “Around 14 families have already shifted elsewhere. We have demanded their rehabilitation to a safer place along with the construction of some sort of concrete safety wall from Vishnu Prayag to the Marwadi area for the safety of the town,” she said.

Geological survey

In August 2022, the state government set up a multi-institutional team to conduct a joint geological and geotechnical survey of Joshimath to ascertain the causes of ongoing subsidence and suggest remedial measures. In its findings, the committee found that “unplanned developmental activities, periodic seismic activities, and absence of the assessment of the carrying capacity of the ground” have burdened the fragile mountain slopes on which the town rests.

BK Maheshwari, professor of earthquake engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Roorkee, who was a part of the survey, said: “The survey report has been submitted to the government and the secretary of Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) is working on the remedial measures as suggested in the report.”

Among the remedial steps suggested by Maheshwari were a stop to haphazard construction and the use of heavy machinery for rock cutting. Others included pavement and roads to be properly compacted and consolidated; seepage from drains carrying storm water as also household wastewater to be minimised through routine maintenance and repairs; and the planning and lining of the towns drainage system.

“All construction activities in Ravigram, Sunil, and Gandhinagar in close proximity of nullah be curtailed. If necessary, the households be relocated at alternate safe places. The foundation soil of the houses showing continuous crack development be strengthened,” the recommendations said.

Environmental experts

Experts said that the 1976 Mishra Commission report had highlighted the sensitivity of the region, categorically flagging land subsidence, recommending no excavation or big machinery activity in the area.

“The vulnerability of Joshimath was first highlighted by Mishra Commission report in 1976 but no lessons were learned and on the contrary, hydropower tunnels’ construction both downstream and upstream of Joshimath were done. This along with haphazard construction of roads, buildings and so on without considering the carrying capacity of the region, have further contributed in overburdening of the fragile ecology of the region. This cumulatively has resulted in increasing the vulnerability of the town,” said noted environmentalist Hemant Dhyani.

“The hydropower tunnel built below the town using heavy machinery led to puncturing the aquifer in 2009-10 and destabilised the fragile rocks and no remedial measures or scientific approach were taken so it is not surprising that the town is sinking,” he added.

Anoop Nautiyal, a Dehradun-based social activist said the situation is grim. “The regular cracks appearing in the houses of residents have instilled fear among them. I urge the government to take immediate measures to ensure the safety of people of the town, which is a gateway to Badrinath and Auli”, he said.

The government’s stance

Piyoosh Rautela, executive director of USDMA, said the district of Chamoli, which houses Joshimath is tectonically sensitive, and falls in Zone V of the seismic zoning map if India — the highest gradation of tectonic activity.

“Chamoli district has several prominent tectonic discontinuities and experiences, particularly high precipitation. The district is therefore vulnerable to both rainfall and earthquake-induced landslides. The district thus experiences a number of landslides and land subsidence, particularly during the monsoon period,” he said.

Rautela, who was part of the team that conducted the survey in August, said that the area around Joshimath was covered with a thick layer of overburden material (caused by landslides). “Large boulders of gneisses and fragments of basics and schistose rocks are embedded in the area, contributing significantly in the gradual sinking of the area”, he said

Rautela said the latest satellite data shows that some mountain streams have expanded their channels or have changed course, and this has induced greater slope instability.

Himanshu Khurana, Chamoli’s district magistrate, said that the irrigation department has been asked to prepare a detailed project report to strengthen anti erosion work. “This toe erosion work will be undertaken to mitigate the problem of land subsidence.”

On Tuesday, a five-member team headed by Khurana conducted an inspection of the affected areas and sought feedback from people. “I have also instructed concerned officials to prepare a proposal for the construction of a security wall to prevent subsidence in the river area stretching from Marwari Bridge to Vishnuprayag, a distance of 1.5 kilometres. I have also directed that remedial work on homes that have developed cracks begin immediately after consulting structural engineers” Khurana said.

Rautela said that the government was cognisant of the protests and the concerns, and given the sensitivity of the matter, was looking closely at the suggestions of the survey committee. “We are looking into these recommendations and appropriate action will be taken.”

Forty four-year-old Devender Kumar from Joshimath’s Chawni Bazaar, however, says they are running out of time. “If the government does not move fast, I too will leave and move somewhere else. Our home is now too dangerous to live in,” he said.