Why is Joshimath sinking all of a sudden is an obvious question that comes to the mind of people following incidences in Uttarakhand. Piping of finer material embedded in the old slide material on the valley slope by the breach of some confined aquifer and accompanying distress seems to be the logical explanation. Scientific and technical institutions investigating the causes of distress are sure to add value to this assumption.
Uttarakhand
Imported cheetah vs desi guldar
Elementary history lessons are enough to tell us that all that comes from alien lands does not always have savour and flavour. Consequences of centuries of blatant loot by East India Company and later British Raj proves this – from global leader in manufacturing and exports commanding around 23 percent of the global economy at the beginning of the […]
Human psychology and aggravated disaster risk
Despite geographical, religious, cultural and linguistic diversity humans think, act and react in amazingly similar fashion, particularly during distress and life threatening situations. This is attributed to evolution, as behavioural traits providing relative advantage and maximizing chances of survival get engrained in our behavior and psychology. Though evolved through the struggle for survival and aimed […]
संता – बंता और भूकम्प सुरक्षा
संता – भाई आजकल कुछ ज्यादा भूकम्प नहीं आ रहे हैं? बंता – हो सकता है भूकम्प तो उतने ही आ रहे हो पर हमें पता ज्यादा चल रहा हो – संवेदनशील उपकरणों व मीडिया के कारण? संता – क्या मतलब? बंता – बाकी की आपदाओं का तो भाई पता नहीं, पर दुनिया भर के भूकम्प के […]
Joshimath like ground fissure reports
Cracks and fissures are being reported from many places of Uttarakhand soon after the recent ground subsidence incidence around Joshimath, cause of which still eludes the scientists and experts. It is a cause of serious concern as neither the people not the state are in a position to bear the burden of similar incidences.
Ground subsidence around Joshimath
Habitations have come into existence, primarily as a consequence of basic human urge to socialise and stay together, perhaps for safety and security, more than anything else. It is around these settlements that humans started various livelihood chores including agriculture, hunting and gathering. Settlements in the hills Agriculture being the primary economic activity in the […]
संता-बंता और आने वाला बड़ा भूकम्प
High risk posed to UP & NCR from future Himalayan earthquake calls for augmenting earthquake safety initiatives & promoting warning app of Uttarakhand.
Earthquake early warning – An illusion
After a series of earthquakes in the recent past in western Nepal and Pithoragarh, the earthquake early warning (EEW) system operated by USDMA in Uttarakhand has been the focus of most seismic safety related debates. Obsessed with the glitter and fancy of early warning most disaster risk reduction (DRR) enthusiasts often tend to consider it the ultimate […]
Avalanches around Kedarnath
In September 2022 avalanche activity was observed repeatedly in the mountains to the north of Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. Presence of pilgrims and others in large numbers facilitated pictographic and video records of these, and stories projecting these as posing a major hazard to the township and pilgrims became viral on social media. A […]
Committee recommends monitoring of slopes around Joshimath
Observation pillars were erected on the identified vulnerable slopes around the Naini lake after devastating Sher-ka-Danda landslide of 1880 and these were monitored using theodolite till 1997 to assess the threat posed to the lake city and undertake mitigation measures, besides sounding a warning when required. Monitoring unstable slopes But then Joshimath in Chamoli district […]