Joshimath Crisis: The Saga of a Sinking Town

Joshimath is a popular temple town situated in Chamoli District, Uttarakhand. Joshmiath is considered a gateway into Badrinath and is famous for its climbing expeditions and trekking trails. The town itself is revered by Hindus all over Indian because it is the winter seat of Lord Badri, whose idol is brought to Vasudeva temple in Joshimath from Badrinath temple.

Why Joshimath is a popular tourist destination?

Since the government introduced the winter Char Dham Yatra, Joshimath has become an even more famous travel destination. Temples dedicated to Narashima, Hanuman, Ganesha, Surya, Naudevi, and Gaurishankar are some of Joshimath’s important attractions. The town of Joshimath is approximately 1,900 metres above sea level and overlooks two mighty rivers Alaknanda and Dhauliganga.

According to the 2011 Indian Census, Joshimath is a bustling town with at least 4,000 families and a total population of approximately 17,000 people. The town is also host to the Joshimath Cantonment. The Joshimath Cantonment is the closest military station to the Indo-Tibetan border. During the 2013 Kedarnath Floods, the Joshimath Cantonment was used as a base camp for the victims of the flood.

February 2021 Chamoli District Flood

On 7^th February 2021, Joshimath was hit by a roaring flood when the Nanda Devi glacier broke. Neighbouring village of Rini, along with the Rishi Ganga Dam, the Dhauliganga Dam, Nanda Devi National Park, Sridhar, and the Tapovan Vishnugad Hydropower Plant, were also affected immensely. The floods caused landslides which resulted in the deaths of 31 people and over 160 people were reported missing.

According to a report published in May 2021, 83 bodies and 26 human body parts were recovered. It was also estimated that the majority of the people either missing or dead were workers at the Tapovan Hydropower Plant. Even before this disaster, Joshimath and its surrounding areas were described as ‘fragile’ because of the region being exposed to the dangers of development projects.

In the aftermath of the Nanda Devi floods, the residents of the town of Joshimath started noticing cracks appearing in their homes.

Joshimath 2023- The Situation So Far

On January 6 2023, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami ordered the setting up of a rehabilitation centre at a safe spot in Joshimath itself. The Chief Minister also instructed that people living in the danger zones would be vacated immediately and that a disaster control room should be established.

In the same meeting, the Chief Minister also announced that for the next 6 months, the assistance of Rs. 4,000 per month will be provided to all affected families from the Chief Minister’s relief fund. For losing their home, every family will also be given Rs. 1.5 lakhs immediately as compensation. Also, Rs. 50,000 will be given as additional assistance to people who are facing severe difficulties.

All of these measures were taken after a wave of protesters blocked the Badrinath Highway on 5^th January because of authorities’ negligence towards the issue of land subsidence (Subsidence describes the phenomenon of the sinking of land caused by movement of underground material while pumping for groundwater, mining for minerals, and fracking for natural gas or oil).

Reports of the town sinking started emerging from Joshimath in late December 2022. The residents of Joshimath took to the streets after a survey conducted by the city’s municipality indicated that cracks have appeared in over 500 houses. 

This protest also prompted an on-the-spot inspection of the town by a 5-member team comprising geological experts, senior officials, and engineers. And it also prompted the authorities to stop construction activities, which included projects by the Border Roads Organisation and the National Thermal Power Corporation.

It has also been reported that at least 70 families have evacuated their homes and two hotels, Malari Inn and Hotel Mount View, have been shut down. On January 10, after a high-level meeting with senior Central government officials, Uttarakhand State Officials, top officers from the National Disaster Management Authority, the Geological Survey of India, and the National Institute of Hydrology, Joshimath was declared a landslide and subsidence-hit zone.

By 11^th January, authorities have deemed 86 houses to be “unsafe” and had marked their entrance with a red “X.” A team of the National Disaster Response Force and four teams of the State Disaster Response Force are stationed in the town. Several officials are also working together to continuously monitor seismic activity and also develop a risk-sensitive urban development plan

Joshimath Demolition

The first phase of Joshimath demolition focuses on hotels Malari Inn and Hotel Mount View. The cracks that have appeared in Malari Inn have separated it from its foundation and caused it to lean against Hotel Mount View for support. The demolition of these hotels was supposed to be conducted by Central Building Research Institute on the evening of January 11 but was stopped after protests by residents and the owners of the hotels.

The protestors raised concerns against the demolition activities due to a lack of clarity regarding compensation being awarded to the people whose houses were proposed to be damaged. They were also demanding compensation as per the Badrinath Dham master plan. The protestors were not ready to leave the hotels unless the officials assured them of proper compensation. 

The situation in the sinking town of Joshimath is becoming bleaker for the residents as time passes. The Indian Meteorological Department has also predicted rainfall for the sinking town which puts them at an even higher risk of landslide. Cracks have now appeared in over 800 buildings in Joshimath as of 11^th January and as many as 131 families have shifted to the 344 relief camps set so far.

Possible Reasons Behind Joshimath Crisis

The town is situated on the middle slope of a hill and built on top of the debris of a landslide. Since the entire is built on top of sand and stone, it is no longer able to carry the weight of its growing population and new developmental projects. And even though the exact reason behind Joshimath’s land subsidence is unknown, the town of Joshimath itself is built in a fragile ecosystem.

This fact was corroborated in a report published at least 50 years ago by the MC Mishra Committee, which warned the Uttarakhand government that Joshimath was sinking and that lack of adequate drainage facilities will cause landslides in the area. The report also stated that Joshimath is not suitable for a township and recommended a ban on heavy construction in the area. This advice was not heeded by the government.

Experts point towards many ongoing developmental and hydroelectric projects in the nearby area for Joshimath’s vulnerability. The residents of Joshimath tend to blame National Thermal Power Corporation’s Tapovan Hydroelectric Power Plant for the incident. However, NTPC has rejected the claims made by the residents.

Joshimath is also prone to frequent seismic activity since it.  Other reasons behind this crisis include the unplanned construction of homes, businesses, and roads to cater to the growing population of the town. This crisis is not just limited to the town of Joshimath, residents in the neighbouring town of Karnaprayag are noticing cracks in their homes too.

A Dehradun-based institute has also concluded that Joshimath and its surrounding area are sinking at least 2.5 inches every year. Currently, all hands are on deck to make the evacuation go as smoothly as possible.