Joshimath land sinking: The government has promised assistance and compensation to Joshimath residents. But demolition of the two precarious hotels has yet to begin. A team of experts will investigate the land subsidence problem in the town of Uttarakhand.

As the Uttarakhand government prepares a rehabilitation package to help Joshimath deal with the crisis of its gradual sinking. The  Environment expert Vimlendu Jha says ‘the town has been brought down by NTPC engineers because there is no scope for repair and no reverse gear from the current situation’. Jha blamed the Joshimath disaster on aquifer breaches. Blaming NTPC for claiming that the tunnel for their hydel project did not pass beneath Joshimath.

“The Joshimath disaster is the result of NTPC engineers puncturing aquifers with tunnel-boring machines. Through tunnelling under Joshimath, muddy waters seeping out from homes and ground is a testimony of the engineered crime leading to aquifer breaches,” Jha wrote in a lengthy Twitter thread deconstructing the disaster.

Uttarakhand will conduct research on the carrying capacity of Joshimath and other hill towns.

Joshimath land sinking: ‘Not all soil types are suitable for digging.’

Not all soil is suitable for digging, moving, and blasting. “Himalaya is one of the youngest mountain ranges, located in a high seismic zone, and a stage for extreme climate events. And yet, they draw a plan on autoCAD, same perhaps as they made for Sarojini Nagar redevelopment, or copied from Hongkong, and got it ‘passed’. To begin, our engineering schools must begin teaching SOIL-TYPE: alluvial, laterite, desert, black cotton, peaty, and others. Not every soil is PLAIN SOIL, ready to be dug, moved, blasted, or tunnelled with your engineering prowess; each is unique, with its own carrying capacity “Jha stated.

‘Natural disasters are not natural disasters.’

The Chamoli flash flood, which occurred in February 2021, was at the same project site, according to the environment expert, and was a clear example of Himalayan ecological vulnerability. Regardless of political party, the authorities are rushing to maximise short-term gains, primarily for private companies and contractors, according to Jha.

There is no coincidence in cracks’ Following Joshimath, cracks appeared in houses in Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, and other places. This is not a coincidence, according to Jha, who added that all of these are either near the Char Dham Road project, a rail tunnel zone, or a hydroelectric project.

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What is going on in Joshimath? Here are the most recent updates.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited Joshimath and spent the night there assuring the town’s affected residents. Joshimath is located 513 kilometres from Delhi, 45.2 kilometres from Badrinath, and 51 kilometres from Kedarnath.

An interim grant of Rs. 1.5 lakh has been announced for people who have been displaced from their homes in Joshimath.

Joshimath’s Malari Inn and Mount View Hotel will be demolished mechanically. Residents’ protests caused the demolition to be halted. The authorities have stated that no other houses will be demolished.

An underground channel where water was percolating burst more than a week ago. According to the chief minister, this has decreased.