- SFG FRC 2027 | Program starts from 19th Dec. 2026 | Admissions open for Entrance Test Click Here to know more →
- Prelims Test Series (PTS) for Prelims 2027 starts 11th Oct. 2026 Click Here to know more →
- [Pre-order] Ethics Redbook 3rd Edition: Delivery starts from 10th October onwards Click Here to Read More →
- 21 Sept. | GS Advance Program (GSAP) for UPSC 2027 Mains starts from 11th Oct. Click Here to Read More →
Source: The post is based on the article “Joshimath sank by 5.4 cm in 12 days, says ISRO report” published in The Hindu on 13th January 2023
What is the News?
According to images released by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO), Uttarakhand’s Joshimath has witnessed a rapid subsidence of nearly 5.4 cm in the past 12 days.
What is Subsidence?
Why is Joshimath sinking?
Joshimath town has great religious, spiritual and cultural importance. It is home to the monastery of Adi Sankaracharya and the gateway to the Badrinath temple.
However, it is built on the deposits of an old landslide which means the slopes can be destabilized even by slight triggers.
The town is also in Zone V, denoting the highest risk, in India’s seismic zonation scheme.
Hence, Joshimath’s geological setting together with the unplanned and rampant construction in and around the town has resulted in land subsidence.
