DNA Special: Why did houses in Uttarakhand's Joshimath develop cracks?

Over 500 houses in Joshimath town of Uttarakhand have reported cracks that emerged after land subsidence. In the last 24 hours, a total of nine families have been displaced. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said necessary actions would be taken to ensure the safety of the people.

Due to land subsidence, water is coming out of the ground in many places. Tourists have been banned from staying in hotels. Operation of Asia's biggest ropeway, the Joshimath-Auli ropeway, has also stopped for tourists. People are also protesting on the streets.  

It is reported that the water level of Joshimath is increasing continuously. Because of this, the land is sinking. According to official data, incidents of cracks were reported in 561 houses in all 9 wards of Joshimath city till January 4. More than 3,000 people have been affected. Two hotels in Joshimath have been closed after cracks.

But who is responsible for this disaster in Joshimath? For this, it is most important to understand the demography of Joshimath. The city is situated at an altitude of 6,000 in the Himalayan range. It is built on the debris of landslides.

The city is situated between two rivers -- Alaknanda on one side and Dhauliganga on the other. It comes in Seismic Zone 5, which is considered very sensitive which means this area is the centre of earthquake and geological movements.

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For this reason, many environmentalists have been expressing the possibility of some major natural disaster in Joshimath. In 1970s, the government formed a committee (Mishra Commission) under the chairmanship of Mahesh Chandra Mishra, who was the commissioner of Garhwal.

The committee submitted its report in 1976. and expresses a threat of natural calamity in the hill town. It also recommended a ban on any kind of heavy construction work in Joshimath. It also suggested planting trees on the slopes along the hills.

But environmentalists and social activists allege that the governments did not pay heed to these recommendations. Instead big projects were set up in the name of development works. Among them is the Vishnugarh Hydroelectric Project which is built on the Dhauliganga River.

A 12 km long tunnel was built for this starting from Tapovan to Shelang village. This tunnel passes under the mountain of Joshimath. Environmentalists say that whatever is happening in Joshimath, the Vishnugarh hydroelectric project is responsible for that.