Joshimath: Uttarakhand

Joshimath, a hilly town in Uttarakhand, has raised national concerns as the hill begins to claim its lands. The city is sinking.

The landslide debris on which the city was established has a low bearing capacity and experts have long warned that it cannot support a high rate of construction. That report -- by the government-appointed Mishra Commission -- pointed to a crucial piece of information: Joshimath is located on the site of an ancient landslide. While the panic over the Joshimath sinking is making headlines now, scientists and geologists working in the area have been sounding the alarm for decades. Joshimath is also of great strategic importance to the Indian armed forces and is home to one of the Army's most important cantonments. A 2022 report stated that the area around Joshimath is covered with thick layers of overburdened material. The winter abode of lord Badrinath, a staging ground for troops posted along the Sino-Indian border, and a sort of a base camp for Himalayan expeditions, Joshimath is making headlines for the wrong reason: it is sinking.