JOSHIMATH: The state of emergency that the "sinking town" of Joshimath is in today didn't happen overnight. It took decades of reckless construction and blatant violation of scientific recommendations, which research teams had kept on highlighting.
A 2006 scientific report titled 'Joshimath localised subsidence and active erosion of the AT Nala' had revealed some parts of Joshimath were "sliding by 1 cm every year".
An excerpt of the report, accessed by TOI, reads, "The underground seepages, erosion by the nalas and several types of anthropogenic activities have made the region weak to the extent that one block of the slope, wherein Kamet, Sema villages and the town of Joshimath are located, is sliding at a reported rate of more than 1 cm/year."
Joshimath sinking: Follow live updatesIt further reads, "Sinking of this zone is evident by several houses which have given way despite firm foundation and support." The report also mentioned the need for shifting of families to safer places. "Some families in the ward of Ravigram have already shifted. Yet, three-four families remain, who have to be shifted soon," the report stated.
Swapnamita Choudhury, a scientist from Doon-based Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, who compiled the scientific report, told TOI on Sunday: "These observations were made after analysing cracks. We found that places like Sunil and Ravigram are creeping (developing cracks) at a faster pace than others."
Joshimath - the sinking hill town of Uttarakhand
Choudhury's team also conducted a ground displacement survey for a year. She said, "The 'soil creep study' which we conducted in the previous year found out that soil, particularly in Ravigram ward of Joshimath, was creeping by 80 mm annually."
She further said, "From January 2 onwards when the aquifer burst happened in the NTPC hydropower project, cracks have developed only in that area's colony. It is a new thing. We're trying to scientifically understand through - geophysical and hydrological studies - the reasons behind it."
Another expert, meanwhile, added, "We can understand the reason behind these cracks by simply getting all the technical records of the hydroproject works as well as highway construction. It will give a clear picture and help in the relief process."