Joshimath 'sinking': Why over 500 houses and roads in Uttarakhand town have developed cracks

As many as 561 homes in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath have developed cracks in recent days. Cracks have also appeared on some roads. There is fear that Joshimath is ‘sinking’ has alarmed residents as well as the government. People have been leaving their houses and fleeing to safer places in view of the cracks. The fear of house collapse due to a landslide has become a major concern for the residents of the city.

A 14-member committee has been formed by the Uttarakhand Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to assess the sinking of land and damages it is causing in Uttarakhand. As land subsidence continues in the district, 561 homes have developed cracks and water seepage is continuing from underground in areas like Marwadi’s JP Colony, the Chamoli District Disaster Management Department has said.

Areas developing cracks also include Singhdhar, Marwadi as well as some public roads and main roads. The cracks are increasing every hour which is worrying, Joshimath Municipal Chairman Shailendra Panwar was quoted as saying. 

Why houses and roads in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath have developed cracks?

The land in Joshimath is sinking due to a phenomenon called land subsidence. It refers to the vertical sinking of land in a region. It consists of the Earth’s surface moving downwards vertically and involves little or no movement horizontally. The reason behind subsidence can be both natural causes or human actions. 

There are various processes that can lead to land sinking through subsidence. These include: 

• The dissolution of carbonate rock lying underneath by groundwater, 
• Sediments compacting gradually
• Fluid lava withdrawing from underneath a solidified rock crust
• Mining activity
• Pumping of fluids like groundwater or fuel from under the surface
• Tectonic forces warping Earth’s crust (known as tectonic subsidence)

3000 people from 576 houses have been impacted due to the subsidence. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has assured that necessary actions will be undertaken to save the residents in the district. He is set to visit the district to assess the situation. 

"The people of Joshimath are worried about the future of the city," said one resident Madhavi Sati, who is also the ex-Municipal President of Joshimath. She said that there’s no other choice but to live in the ruined house.

READ | DNA Explainer: What is ‘Green Hydrogen’? From 6 lakh jobs to Rs 8 lakh crore investment, know what Centre plans