Saving Joshimath

There is panic over cracks developing in homes, roads and fields in Uttarakhand’s temple town of Joshimath, but scientists and geologists have been sounding the alarm for decades. It was in 1976 that a panel headed by a top bureaucrat recommended a ban on heavy construction in the area. Since Joshimath, according to the Mishra Commission, is located on the site of a landslide, it cannot support a high rate of building activity. Just the opposite has happened over the years. Despite awareness of its vulnerable foundations, rampant and haphazard construction has been allowed. Electricity projects and the widening of the national highway have made the already fragile slopes highly unstable.

An important way station on both the pilgrim and trekking circuits in the hill state, Joshimath also has strategic significance since the Army Cantonment here is close to the China border. That lends inevitability to the road infrastructure upgrade. The entire region from Chamoli to Joshimath has faced disasters. The floods of 2013 and 2021, experts point out, had an adverse impact. A glacial lake burst two years ago led to the loss of 204 lives, mostly migrants working on a hydropower project. Joshimath is sinking due to land subsidence. How to save the town after the evacuation of people in the affected areas is the big question.

There are demands for assessment of the rock strength, seismic microzonation of the town, replanning of its drainage system and rainwater outlets, even shelving an under-construction power project. Joshimath is also prone to sinking due to tectonic activity. That adds to the urgency of taking remedial measures, but resorting to a piecemeal approach would be a letdown. The Chief Minister’s appeal to keep in mind that livelihoods are not affected is well taken, but when lives are at great risk, long-term, sustainable solutions are required. Joshimath’s plight calls for mapping other hill towns facing a similar situation and a relook at the demand for the creation of eco-sensitive zones in Uttarakhand’s valleys.

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