Sacred town in India is sinking as authorities ignore expert warnings

27 February 2023, India: A town in the Chamoli District, Joshimath, said to have special spiritual powers is sinking under the weight of development. The holy town in northeastern India was built on piles of debris left behind by landslides and earthquakes. Joshimath’s 20,000 residents are watching their community fall under the earth.

The town’s loose topsoil and soft rocks can only support so much, and that limit, according to environmentalists, may have already been breached.

A number of hydro-electric power stations and a long highway have been built in the area, all aimed at boosting religious tourism. The construction blasts are critically undermining the equilibrium of the town. Multistoried hotels slump to their side, cracked roads are gaping. Nearly 1,000 homes are uninhabitable.

Scientists have warned since the turn of the century that the town would not survive any heavy construction. The Save Joshimath Committee says, “Cracks are widening every day and people are in fear. … It’s a time bomb.”

Joshimath is believed to be where Hindu guru Adi Shankaracharya found enlightenment in the 8th century before going on to establish four monasteries in India. Pilgrims pass through Joshimath on their journey to the famous Sikh shrine, Hemkund Sahib, and the Hindu temple, Badrinath.

“Let places of worship remain as places of worship. Don’t make them tourist spots,” a priest at the famed Adi Shankaracharya monastery pleaded.

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