Government silent on construction details, says Himalayas unstable | News from India

NEW DELHI: Against the backdrop of recent land subsidence episodes of Joshimath area in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, the government told Parliament that many parts of the Himalayas have “unstable and dynamic geology, which can lead to subsidence and landslides”. He also said that the region has seen a “gradual relaxation”.
The government’s remarks came in response to several questions from Parliament over the Joshimath incidents in the Rajya Sabha last week. Although the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), in his written reply, he was silent on the details of the heavy construction works carried out in the region and on any violations of the existing parameters, he said that “the geology of many localities in the Himalayan region is unstable and dynamic, and environmental remediation is mandatory before starting any major construction project.

He said there was no general ban on residential or commercial construction, but the local government can make a decision on imposing restrictions, based on the hazard risks.

“According to the information provided by the Uttarakhand government, Joshimath is located on a thick layer of very ancient landslide material. It is observed that large boulders of gneiss and fragments of basic schistose rocks are embedded in gray silty soils sandy matrix. The region has seen a gradual breakdown. This was also reported by a committee set up under Mahesh Chandra Misra in 1976,” Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh said.
He noted that the Mishra committee report suggests that “heavy construction should only be permitted after examining the bearing capacity of the ground conditions.”

The minister, however, remained silent on specific questions posed by the AAP member Sanjay Singh on the steps taken by the government to implement the recommendations of the Mishra committee and yearly details on it.
He simply stated that all construction activities have been halted in the entire Joshimath area including Tapovan-Vishnugad Energy Project and Helong Marwari Bypass Road after land subsidence incidents.
“The situation is constantly monitored 24/7 in state and central governments. Furthermore, the central and state governments are working in close coordination with all relevant agencies to mitigate the effect of land subsidence in the Joshimath area,” the minister said.

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