JOIN USParts of Joshimath may have subsidence of 70 cm: Report
Parts of Joshimath may have sunk by approximately 70 cm, far higher than ISRO's observations that reported 5.4cm subsidence in the past 12 days, according to a media report citing sources carrying out the on-ground investigation
Concerns over land subsidence in Joshimath mounted on Friday as satellite images released by ISRO showed the Himalayan town sank 5.4 cm in 12 days.
"The ground investigation clearly shows 70 cm subsidence in and around the badminton court inside Jaypee Colony where an aquifer burst on January 2. In pockets of Manohar Bagh, 7-10cm subsidence has been observed," an official aware of the developments told The Times of India.
Explaining the difference between the numbers, as official said that the sensing technology by ISRO can better guage horizontal than vertical displacement/ subsidence, the latter isthe case in Joshimath. “Changes in ground surface can be gauged through remote sensing but what is happening below the ground needs a detailed field investigation," he told the publication,
Several state-run institutions including ISRO have been directed by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Uttarakhand government not to interact with media or share information on social media on the Joshimath situation without prior approval.
The statements on Joshimath are creating confusion not only among affected residents but also among citizens of the country, the NDMA said.
It said people associated with them should not interact with the media and share data on social media regarding the ground subsidence in Joshimath.
The NDMA asked the organisations to sensitise its experts about the matter and added they should refrain from posting anything on media platforms until the final report of the expert group is released by the NDMA.
The direction came after satellite images released by the Indian Space Research Organisation showed the rapid rate of subsidence in Joshimath between Dec 27 and January 8, fuelling concerns over the situation, even as Uttarkhand Minister Dhan Singh Rawat said on Saturday that the ISRO images have been withdrawn.
The number of houses that have developed cracks in the town stands at 760 now, out of which 147 have been marked unsafe.
Meanwhile, the Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (JBSS) has blamed the NTPC for the land subsidence here in this Uttarakhand town.
(With agency inputs)