The Joshimath crisis has exploded with the onset of a new year. Even as a team from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) takes stock of the very ground whose subsidence has triggered a seismic wave of panic in the Himalayan region—almost foreboding a catastrophe lying in wait—there are two lessons to be learned. First, never ignore the past. Forty-six years ago, a report by an 18-member panel headed by the former collector of Garhwal, M C Mishra, had flagged the problem and suggested the way forward was to go slow on development. The past has come back to bite because successive governments paid no heed. Second, sweeping facts under the carpet is not how an environmental emergency of such proportions must be dealt with. The National Disaster Management Authority’s gag order after the National Remote Sensing Centre-ISRO data suggested the land in Joshimath had sunk 5.4 cm in just 12 days will not reverse the damage. The government must remember that only scientific facts can present a solution for the crisis, which is not Uttarakhand’s alone.
Another aspect that must be borne in mind is groundwater overexploitation, which eventually leads to land subsidence. Interestingly, even the National Capital Region is prone to such dangers because the growing population and rapid urbanisation have driven faster groundwater extraction, eventually causing subsidence. Such patterns have been found elsewhere in the world too.
Across the Himalayan region, spanning about 2,500 km from Kashmir to the farthest end of the North East, the current crisis’ tremors are being felt as reports of sinking land across northern Indian states are finding their way faster than ever. Chances are much of it will be allowed to be forgotten to calm the nerves, which must not happen. It is also the region where the tectonic plates are always moving, making it vulnerable to seismic activities. The crisis clearly needs a bigger national discourse. Because, unmindful of the dangers, the entire Himalayan landscape, over the decades, has witnessed unbridled development riding on the demands for tourism, infrastructure and strategic concerns given the geopolitical significance.
If we look closely, what Joshimath is experiencing today is a quiet disaster whose footprints can also be spotted in other regions. The mighty Himalayas are only pushing back against the unceasing greed for development. It’s about time to wake up to its cautions.