The pictures are taken from the Cartosat-2S satellite

Chamoli/New Delhi:

Uttarakhand’s Joshimath saw a rapid sinking of 5.4 cm in just 12 days, according to a report by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The satellite images released by ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre show the town sank 5.4 cm between December 27 to January 8.

The report, quoting eyewitnesses, said the massive land subsidence or the sinking of the soil occurred due to “a rapid subsidence event that was triggered on January 2 2022.”

The rapid shifting of soil occurred in the central Joshimath that includes Army Helipad and Narsing Temple. “The Crown of the subsidence is located near Joshimath-Auli road at a height of 2180 metrer,” ISRO said.

The space agency also found that the sinking rate was much lower in the previous months – between April and November 2022 – during which Joshimath had sunk by 9 cm.

“Slow subsidence up to 9 cm within the Joshimath town is recorded over a period of 7 months, between April and November 2022,” the report said.

The pictures are taken from the Cartosat-2S satellite.

Joshimath, the temple-town known to be ‘sinking’ for a while, reached a crisis this year as buildings and roads developed massive cracks. Some 4,000 people have been moved to relief camps after a satellite survey.

Besides hotels and business establishments, 678 homes are in danger, the Uttarakhand government has said. Some buildings are leaning precariously, posing a threat to adjoining structures.

The dismantling of two multi-storey hotels deemed unsafe – Malari Inn and the five-storied Mount View – started yesterday.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who visited Joshimath and held meetings with locals and experts on Thursday, said a committee will decide the rate for compensation to be paid to the affected families, keeping in mind the interests of stakeholders.

“For now, Rs 1.5 lakh will be given to each affected family. This is only a temporary measure. We are still working on compensation rates,” he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also led a high-level meeting to review the situation with Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, RK Singh, Bhupendra Yadav and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and senior government officials at his home.

The unfolding disaster is not limited to Joshimath. In Karnaprayag, a town seen as the gateway to Joshimath, residents of one locality – Bahuguna Nagar – have flagged massive cracks that have appeared in at least 50 homes over the last few months.

Joshimath is called the “winter seat” of Lord Badrinath, whose idol is brought down from the main Badrinath temple to Vasudeva temple in the town every winter. It is also the gateway to the Sikh holy shrine Hemkund Sahib.