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Joshimath tragedy: Cracks foretold 12 years ago -GS Mudur

-The Telegraph

Slushy water is eroding underground rock, accelerating the subsidence in parts of the town, geologist Piyoosh Rautela tells The Telegraph

New Delhi: Piyoosh Rautela, a professional geologist, has scrambled over the past week to manage a crisis in Joshimath he had warned about 12 years ago — a spike in the central Himalayan town’s sinking rate triggered by the sudden release of underground water.

The water discharge from a burst aquifer — a water-bearing subterranean rock — that started on the night of January 2-3 has resulted in cracks in houses and other structures in parts of Joshimath, said Rautela, executive director with Uttarakhand’s Disaster Management Authority.

“The aquifer is releasing water, 400 to 500 litres per minute. The slushy water is eroding underground rock, accelerating the subsidence in parts of the town,” Rautela told The Telegraph on Sunday.

“The extent of the aquifer, the volume of water it contains, and why it burst are unclear for now. We’ll need detailed studies to answer these questions.”

State and central authorities have begun evacuating affected people and providing them with food and shelter, and have sought guidance from geologists and other experts on short-term and longterm remedial measures.

The Prime Minister’s Office said on Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was concerned and had reviewed the situation with the Uttarakhand chief minister.

P.K. Mishra, principal secretary to the Prime Minister, held a review meeting on Sunday with other senior central and state government officials as well as scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, and other institutions to discuss the damage and land subsidence.

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