Days after locals protested over the gradual 'sinking' of Joshimath in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, a team of experts on December 27 (Tuesday) performed an on-the-spot inspection of the city. An official said that the five-member team of senior officeholders, geological experts, and engineers examined the buildings that conceived cracks, spoke to the affected residents, and gave feedback to the district administration.
The development comes after several reports that Joshimath, which is considered the gateway to Badrinath, a Hindu holy place, is 'sinking' with its numerous houses, shops, and hotels conceiving cracks surfaced.
Inspection & Protective Measures
Himanshu Khurana, the District Magistrate (DM) of Chamoli, sent the inspection team to Joshimath and directed them to commence with protective works with immediate effect after consultation with a structural engineer. Ravindra Negi, the district information officer, said DM Khurana also asked the team to formulate a drainage plan for the city.
Further, the DM asked them to create proposals under the Disaster Mitigation Plan for constructing a protection wall to prevent erosion from the Alaknanda river between the Marwari bridge and Vishnuprayag on the city's foothills.
The team of experts consisted of five members; Shailendra Panwar, the chairman of Nagar Palika; SDM Kumkum Joshi; Deepak Hatwal, the geological expert; Anoop Kumar Dimri, the executive engineer (irrigation); and N K Joshi, the officer for district disaster management.
Cracks In Buildings of Joshimath - Why?
In Joshimath, the residents affected by the gradual 'sinking' protested on December 24 and accused the administration of not taking any disciplinary steps, reported NDTV.
According to a survey conducted by the city's municipality, cracks have emerged in more than 500 houses in Joshimath over a year, causing them to become inhabitable. Further, an expert panel constituted by the state government found that several pockets of the city are sinking due to man-made and natural factors.
Reportedly, the expert panel found that ground subsidence, a gradual settling or sudden sinking of the earth's surface due to the removal or displacement of subsurface materials, has induced structural defects and damage observed in almost all wards of Joshimath.