Land subsidence is the land gradually settling or sinking suddenly off the earth’s surface due to the removal or displacement of subsurface earth materials. The main reasons that cause land subsidence are natural causes, resource extraction, and unplanned construction of any infrastructure. Land subsidence was seen in the region of Joshimath and Kashmir first. Joshimath is located at an altitude of approximately 1875m in the Middle Himalayas. It is an important tourist and religious site, as it lies in close proximity to the holy temple of Badrinath, and Shri Hemkund Sahib.
The enquiries set up to find reasons for the Joshimath land subsidence formed different conclusions. Some said that it was because of the ongoing unplanned construction and that blocked the natural flow of water. It could also have been an outcome of the ancient land materials used which were sand, stones, and rocks.
The Mishra Committee was formed and gave the following recommendations–
- New constructions should not take place till the lands are not redeveloped.
- No trees should be chopped in the areas where land subsidence has taken place.
- The region below the Joshimath reserve forest shall have extensive planting.
The towns that could suffer after Joshimath include Karnaprayag and Gopeshwar in Chamoli district (where Joshimath is situated); Ghansali in Tehri district; Munsiari and Dharchula in Pithoragarh district; Bhatwari in Uttarkashi district; Pauri; Nainital and several other towns, according to experts.
Steps that can be taken–
- The geology of the Himalayas is complex, diverse and risk-prone. Because of Joshimath, today almost everyone acknowledges the fragility of the Himalayas.
- Human activities in the fragile region need a deep scientific understanding and must be accommodated in this reality.
- If we learn from what natural geological processes in the Himalayas teach us and plan settlements based on existing scientific knowledge, long-term solutions are possible.
- We think that huge dams and structures are stable but actually, they are not. We can know that from the changes in climate.
- The projects that are ongoing for the growth of the Himalayas shall be set aside and the investments must be done which is already built and causing trouble.
It is important to draft a sustainable planning report for the extremely fragile ecosystems of the Indian hilly regions if necessary precautions were taken and the rules in place were adhered to the situation would not have worsened. It was the blatant violations of the construction guidelines which has now endangered the livelihoods of millions of people living in the Himalayas. At this stage, it is necessary to rectify the situation in other hilly regions at risk before it’s too late.
