Joshimath sinking: INSA emeritus scientist explains reason behind land subsidence
Joshimath sinking: Amid the worst condition of the town, Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Emeritus Scientist DM Banerjee stated that the construction of four-lane highways is making the whole system weak and they should not have been made.
As per the explanation by Banerjee, "Joshimath is a part of the lesser Himalayas, the rocks are from the Precambrian era and the territory is of seismic zone 4. Apart from this, people should not have made houses on this land especially not the big ones with 3-4 storeys."
Also Read | Joshimath sinking: Uttarakhand CM says topmost priority is to rescue everyone
Notably, fundamental problem of Joshimat is that the town is located on very weak ground.
Joshimath is located on place where a landslide took place about 6000-7000 years ago due to which mountain range was not in a proper position.
Banerjee said there is enormous pressure on the government to make the place accessible and approachable for devotees to offer prayers at religious places like Badrinath and Kedarnath.
"There is enormous pressure on the present government to make religious places accessible. People have been going to Badrinath and Kedarnath, but they have to walk and travel. Now the government wants all these places approachable so that they can go there by car and bus, which is a wrong step. The Himalayan terrain is fragile, soft, and structurally weak and it is affected by tectonic forces, and therefore it is an unstable zone. The whole region falls in an earthquake zone of 4 which makes it unstable," Banerjee said.
Scientist further added that four-lane roads right up to the Himalayas and different places should not have been done because they make the whole system weak.
“Everybody blames the glacier, but the glacier is one of the causes. The main cause is damming of the river. The material comes from the muck which has been produced by the blasting. This is a long approach. The Geological Survey of India has already submitted a report and other independent organizations also submitted the report about 10 years ago. Either these reports were not shown to the authorities or the authorities never bothered to know about it," he added.
Also Read | Joshimath sinking: CM Dhami inspects affected areas, meets families
He added that, "We can stop the highway construction which is very dangerous even the tunnels which are being built. Everybody is happy that his tunnels are being made. Ladakh and Spiti areas are being connected and enough security measures have been taken, but these are all fragile zones and there is always a danger of collapse. If it does not collapse, there will be groundwater. The water which will seep through it, will make the material weak. This is happening in Atal Tunnel also. The water will always find its place downhill and make the rock weak.
- ANI
