Chamoli: Situated at an altitude of more than 6,000 feet, Joshimath is one of the few beautiful hill stations in Uttarakhand. Joshimath, which comes under Chamoli district, also holds special strategic importance due to its proximity to the India-China border. Natural beauty is such that everyone gets mesmerized by coming here.
Joshimath landslide Alert
Surprising report has come out about Joshimath city which is situated in the lap of nature. According to report, cracks are coming in the houses and roads of Joshimath. Situation has become so bad that it has become difficult for people to stay in their homes.
Many people have left their homes to live on rent. A multi-institutional team set up to conduct geological scientific and geological investigations around the city in Chamoli found that the city was built on an unstable foundation, thick cover of debris created by landslides.
Which can cause major damage due to heavy rains, tremors, irregular construction. The team has blamed several illegal houses, resorts and small hotels for the city’s sinking, which have been built along the Joshimath-Auli road regardless of the city’s capacity.
Team constituted for survey included experts from IIT Roorkee including Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA), Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee.
Apart from this, Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) also joined the team and surveyed the area around Joshimath in August this year.
The panel was set up by USDMA after local residents complained of cracks in their homes and roads. Report submitted to the government on Friday said that evidence of subsidence has been observed at several places along the road from Joshimath.
Along with this, massive cracks have also been found in houses along Joshimath-Auli road. Expert panel found that damage was not limited to floors or walls of houses, it extended to the ceiling.
At the same time, a senior expert included in investigation team said that this area seems to be slowly sinking for a long time.
Chamoli district of Uttarakhand falls in India’s Seismic Zone V, and is particularly vulnerable to landslides, which means it can collapse at any time and cause serious disaster.
Panel has suggested that the government should stop all ongoing construction works at some places near sewers and also stop illegal construction works.
