The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has released satellite images of Joshimath and a preliminary report on land subsidence, revealing that the Uttarakhand town has sunk almost 5.4cm in 12 days between December 27, 2022, and January 8.
In the images taken from the Cartosat-2S satellite, the entire town, including the Army’s helipad and the Narasimha temple, has been marked as a sensitive zone while the crown of the subsidence is located near Joshimath-Auli road at the height of 2,180m, a report by IANS noted.
According to NSRC however, the 12-day sinking rate has been rapid between April 2022 and November 2022 wherein Joshimath witnessed a slow subsidence of 9cm.
Taking into account the ISRO’s preliminary report, the Uttarakhand government is conducting rescue operations in danger-prone areas and the people in these areas are being shifted to safer places on priority.
Claiming the findings in the primary report of ISRO to be frightening, scientists are studying the cracks that appeared in the houses and roads after the land subsidence in the town.
Meanwhile, as Joshimath continues to look for ways to overcome the crisis, environmental experts say that the town has been brought down by NTPC engineers as there is no scope for repair and no reverse gear from the present situation.
“Joshimath disaster is the result of puncturing of aquifers by the NTPC engineers, by their tunnel-boring machines, through tunneling under Joshimath, muddy waters seeping out from homes and the ground is a testimony of the engineered crime leading to aquifer breaches,” environment expert Vimlendu Jha wrote in a long Twitter thread.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami paid a late-night visit to relief camps in the area on Wednesday and interacted with affected people who were brought there. His visit came even as people continued protests demanding compensation ahead of their homes being razed.
An interim assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh is being given to the affected people and details of relief and rehabilitation is being worked out, Dhami said. Compensation will be given in accordance with the market rate, which will be ascertained after taking all the stakeholders into confidence.
It has so far been decided that two hotels – Malari Inn and Mount View – will be demolished, as major cracks have surfaced on their walls and they are leaning towards each other.
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