Hundreds forced to flee homes as Himalayan town slowly sinks

This Indian town nestled in the Himalayan foothills is sinking into the ground, as John Irvine reports

Hidden in the foothills of the Himalayas, the once-idyllic Indian town of Joshimath is collapsing - leading to hundreds being forced to leave their homes.

The small town in northern India often acts as a staging point to access many of the mountains.

But since 2021 cracks have started appearing in many of the town's buildings, with over 900 being condemned.

A quarter of the homes are now uninhabitable and former residents are forced to permanently live in hotels.

Earlier this year, the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing said the town was sinking by 6.5cm a year.

Researchers have suggested several reasons as to why the town is collapsing down the hillside.

Suggestions range from poorly dug foundations and inadequate planning to the impact of climate change.

In February 2021 major floods impacted the region, which researchers think triggered the cracks.

But why years later it is still happening and if it will ever stop has not been conclusively settled.

Pavitra helped build the house that she, her husband and their three children were forced to abandon in January.

It bears the red X which means it’s condemned to never being her home ever again.

She told ITV News: "Considering the condition of the house we don’t have a future here.  I’m worried about my children and their education. But right now I feel traumatised by my cracked home and the broken ground beneath it."

Local townspeople host daily protests demanding more support from the government.

Joshimath’s history dates back to the 8th century, it’s a tourist attraction and a strategic asset, just 60 miles from the Tibetan border and the Chinese soldiers stationed there.

But despite its storied past, it may not have much of a future.

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