In a shocking reveal, Uttarakhand's Joshimath sank 5.4 cm in just 12 days due to land subsidence, according to a report by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) based on satellite images.
The report added that the hill town witnessed a rapid sinking in the days between December 27 to January 8 and was triggered due to a "rapid subsidence event that was triggered on January 2 2022."
The images, taken from the Cartosat-2S satellite, was released by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of ISRO. The report also hints that the entire Joshimath town may sink, reported IANS.
According to the images, the entire town, including the Army's helipad and the Narasimha temple, has been marked as sensitive zone.
Besides, the land subsidence was slow between April 2022 and November 2022, which saw a sink rate of 9 cm. The report added that the satellite images show that the Joshimath-Auli road is also going to collapse.
This comes as over 700 buildings, nearly a fourth of the town's total, have developed cracks. Following this, evacuation has begun from the area. However, the irate local people are seeking compensation from the government.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday led a high-level meeting to review the situation with Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, RK Singh, Bhupendra Yadav and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and senior government officials at his home.
Create a robust plan, state told
The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered the Uttarakhand government to come up with a robust plan for Joshimath. The order was in response to a PIL filed on the crisis.
The court also directed the government to form a committee of independent experts which includes Disaster Management Authority CEO Piyush Rautela and Executive Director, Space Application Centre, MPS Bisht, to look into the matter.
The report prepared by the panel should be submitted to the court in a sealed envelope within two months. The court also directed that an order banning construction activities in the areas surrounding Joshimath be passed immediately.
