The sinking Himalyan town – Joshimath

Joshimath, a holy town in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, radiates a divine aura throughout the entire Garhwal region.  The holy town is revered by the Hindus for it is an important pilgrimage centre of the country. This pilgrimage site is rapidly sinking, with large cracks in roads, houses and even temples.

What caused Joshimath to sink? Why did people have to evacuate their hometown?

While the reasons for this remain uncertain, many environmentalists argue that the cause behind this disaster is “messing with the environment”. The rampant infrastructural development in the town without paying heed to the fragile ecosystem of the mountains is claimed to be one of the major problems behind the curse of Joshimath.

The state-run NTPC Limited's Tapovan Vishnugad hydroelectric power project is at the centre of the controversy surrounding the 'sinking Joshimath' narrative. This 520 MW hydroelectric power (HEP) project's construction got under way in 2006, and it was supposed to be finished in March 2013. However, the project is still "under construction". In addition, its costs have significantly increased from the initially allowed investment of Rs 2,978.5 crore to the currently expected Rs 7,103 crore, a rise of 138.4 percent.

The case of Joshimath comes as a warning for us to pause, reflect and understand mother nature. While development is inevitable, it is also necessary to not do it at the cost of a thousand lives.

References:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-64369752

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/environment/joshimath-sinking-delayed-by-a-decade-cost-of-tapovan-vishnugad-hydroelectric-power-project-increased-by-138-9842011.html