Indian authorities have evacuated 100 families from the northern city of Joshimath, which is at risk of flooding. Homes in the area sustained cracks, leaving hundreds of uninhabitable properties.
It is located in the state of Uttarakhand, Joshimath Washed by two rivers and situated at the foothills of the Himalayas, it is prone to earthquakes, landslides, and erosion.
According to Director of the Natural Resources Board of India Sameer Quatra, “the city and others in the Himalayan region are geologically vulnerable to sinking”.
On January 5, the district administration ordered the temporary closure of all businesses in the city. Among them is the hydroelectric power station project, which includes the construction of tunnels. Residents say that since the start of the company’s work in the area, the cracks have worsened.
As of Thursday, November 12, there were cracks in 760 buildings and 589 people had been evacuated, according to a bulletin from the district administration.
According to Ranjit Sinha, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Disaster Management, “The problem is not new, but the soil is too soft and the land cannot bear the load.” In 2020, a study by the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing found that the city and its surroundings are sinking at a rate of 6.5 cm annually.
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