Joshimath Sinking: Geotechnical Survey Underway To Assess Land Subsidence, No Hard Rock Found After Digging 45 Metres Of Ground

Joshimath, the sinking town of Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district is undergoing a geotechnical survey that aims to find a permanent solution for the land subsidence problem. The scenic town, known to be a gateway to several Himalayan mountain expeditions, treks and pilgrim centres, grabbed headlines last year when 561 buildings in Joshimath developed cracks and the state government prohibited development work in the area on January 5, this year.

The Public Works Department (PWD) of the Uttarakhand government hired a Netherlands-based company, Furgo to conduct the survey. The company started the survey on November 9 and has been working on the Auli road, which was affected by land subsidence.

ALSO READ: Indian Railways' Move To Add More AC Coaches In Trains Causes Inconvenience To Common Passengers; Here's Why

The objective of the survey is to assess the load capacity of the land and the presence of hard rock in the depths of the ground at six different locations in the city. The survey results will help in making an action plan for the treatment and future prevention of landslides in the region. 

The company has not found any hard rock even after going 45 metres below the ground on the Auli road. The company plans to investigate the ground up to 80 metres below and also conduct geological surveys at five other places in Joshimath, including Marwari, Manohar Bagh, Gandhinagar, Singhdhar and Marwari Tirahe.

ALSO READ: Who Is KK Pathak? IAS Officer Grabbing All Headlines Over His Decisions To Transform Education In Bihar

The working manager of Fugro, Balbir Singh Dharman, said that the geotechnical survey will observe the soil, boulders and other conditions of the land along with the hard rock. The executive engineer of PWD, Rajveer Singh Chauhan, said that the survey will help in finding the cause and the solution of the land subsidence and the landslides in Joshimath.