Joshimath sank 5.4cm in 12 days, show ISRO's satellite images

The subsidence zone includes the Army Helipad and Narsingh Mandir, the satellite images revealed.

New Delhi, Jan 13: The satellite images of the 'sinking' city Joshimath, revealed that a rapid subsidence of 5.4cm has been recorded in 12 days between December 27, 2022 and January 8, 2023.

In images, taken from the Cartosat-2S satellite, the entire town, including the Army's helipad and the Narasimha temple, has been marked as sensitive zone.

The National Remote Sensing Centre said the 12-day sinking rate has been rapid as between April 2022 and November 2022, Joshimath saw a slow subsidence of 9 cm.

The subsidence zone includes the Army Helipad and Narsingh Mandir, the satellite images revealed. The crown of the subsidence is located near Joshimath-Auli road at a height of 2,180m.

Key observation by ISRO

1. Slow subsidence up to 9 cm within the Joshimath town is recorded over a period of 7 months, between April and November 2022.
2. Between 27th December 2022 and 8 h January 2023 (possibly on 2nd January 2022 as per eyewitness reports) a rapid subsidence event was triggered.
3. The region subsided around 5 cm within a span of a few days and the areal extent of subsidence has also increased. But it is confined to the central part of Joshimath town.
4. A subsidence zone resembling a generic landslide shape was identified (tapered top and fanning out at base). Crown of the subsidence is located near Joshimath-Auli road at a height of 2180 m.

Meanwhile, the process of demolishing two ''unsafe'' hotels in subsidence-hit Joshimath began on Thursday, two days after the exercise was stalled due to protests by their owners demanding compensation, while the evacuation of affected people to safer locations continued.

Joshimath, the gateway to famous pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib and international skiing destination Auli, is facing a major challenge due to land subsidence.

A total of 169 families consisting of 589 members have so far been shifted to relief centres. There are 835 rooms serving as relief centres in Joshimath and Pipalkoti which can together accomodate 3,630 people, he said.

An interim assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh has been paid so far to 42 affected families. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said a committee would decide the market rate for compensation to be paid to the families affected in Joshimath keeping in mind the interests of stakeholders.

Dhami said only 20-25 per cent houses in Joshimath were affected by land subsidence and not the whole town. He said creating a negative impression could harm the local people's livelihoods, who depend on earnings generated from tourism and pilgrimages and called for collective efforts to strengthen the morale of people to overcome this phase.

Around 80 km from Joshimath, at least 50 houses at Bahuguna Nagar in Karnaprayag have been developing cracks since 2015, according to reports.