Hundreds of houses are on the verge of collapse in the Joshimath area of Uttarakhand. Dangerous cracks are widening in the walls of buildings and roads, through which water is flowing in large quantities. However, geologists say that in the Himalayan city of Joshimath, this disaster has been going on continuously since many years ago and it is likely to get worse. Renowned geologist and director of Dehradun-based Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dr. Kalachand Sen says that the sinking of the land in Joshimath's subsidence area started long ago and is still going on.

Dr. Kalachand Sen said thatJoshimath  The city was built on the debris of an earlier landslide. It also falls in Seismic Zone 5 with the highest risk of earthquakes and is highly susceptible to landslides. The premier institute led a 2021 study that pointed out the extreme vulnerability of the region, whose geological foundation's strength has always been in question. Not only is this region the most tectonically active due to the continuous breaking of the Indian plate under the Eurasian plate, but it is also becoming increasingly unstable due to increasing pressure from human activities.

About the town located at an altitude of about 6,000 feet in Chamoli district, geologist Dr. Kalachand Sen said that 'a lot of construction activity is happening here . Many hotels, restaurants, buildings and roads have been built in the area to cater to the needs of the tourism industry, despite a stern warning issued in 1976 by the government-appointed Mishra Committee. Poor drainage systems have further disrupted the natural flow of water, forcing it to exit where it shouldn't. Dr. Sen said that we have to let the water flow in its natural way. The entire drainage system would have to be redone.

Despite last year's flash floods, construction of the National Thermal Power Corporation's (NTPC) 510 MW Tapovan Vishnugarh hydroelectric project is also underway in the district. Geologist Dr. Kalachand Sen said that however it cannot be said clearly whether the cracks were caused by the construction of a project. But we cannot deny it either. If rocks are blasted in mountainous areas, they can cause damage and cause landslides.

Over the years, geologists have also observed how the natural flow of rivers and 'nalas' upstream is being disrupted. The rivers are also widening their channels and they flow downstream and erode the rocks. As the effects of climate change intensify, more such disasters are likely to occur in the Himalayan region. This is a sign of difficult times to come for the sinking Joshimath.