Abstract: The Himalayas form a dynamic, changing landscape. A product of millions of years of crustal shortening, the Himalayas bear immense tectonic stresses and occasional temblors. Earthquakes, avalanches and floods are part of natural processes, which can turn into natural disasters for humans who live on the fringes of the Himalayas. However, the active tectonic region in focus today is the ground subsidence in Joshi Matt. The disaster in Joshimath did not just happen overnight. Studies, including the recent space satellite images shared by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), found that the town has been sinking for some time now. This disaster should not have come as a surprise. We have known for a long time that Joshimath is vulnerable to subsidence. While there are various teams investigating the area, the available background information suggest a few potential reasons and their combinations for the ground subsidence. One, that the region is built on a glacial deposit called as a moraine. Two, moraine is inherently heterogenous and its response to external triggers depends on its structure, including the presence of aquifers. Three, it is possible that the excessive construction activities could have changed the subterranean hydromechanical conditions such as draining of aquifers, redistribution of pore pressure etc. This talk panel discussion will deliberate upon the various “scientific” and behavioral reasons which led to this. Further, more damaging quakes could strike the region in the future. We cannot yet predict when that will be. Scientists working there say that we need to be more prepared for such kinds of eventualities. The 2013 Kedarnath floods were an eye-opener for following a sustainable path. The panel will discuss the future pathways for preparing mitigation and adaptation strategies for such disasters.
About the speakers:
Prof. Kusala Rajendran is Honorary Professor, IISc-ISRO Centre of Excellence in Advanced Mechanics of Material, Indian Institute of Science. Earlier she been based at Centre for Earth Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science. Her areas of work include Seismotectonics, Earthquakes along the plate boundaries and continental regions, fluid induced earthquakes. Amongst the several accolades Prof Kusala Rajendran has been among the top 100 Asian Scientists by Asian Scientist Magazine (2019), received National award for Women scientist, 2018 (instituted by the Ministry of Earth sciences, Government of India), and honoured with the Krishnan Gold Medal (1993), instituted by the Indian Geophysical Union for contributions in the field of Geophysics.
Prof. C P Rajendran is adjunct professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru. Prof Rajendran has worked at Indian Institute of Science and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru as a professor in geodynamics. He is one of India’s prominent geo-scientists with an international reputation for his wide range across geological and geophysical sciences. He has also received National Geoscience Award in 2009 for excellence in geoscience research and prestigious fellowships like Ramanujan Fellowship instituted by the Government of India. Professor Rajendran is a prolific communicator on the topics of science policies, environment, education and scientific temperament.
Dr Shalini Dixit is a faculty in the school of social sciences NIAS. Her disciplinary training is in the area of cognitive, social, and cultural psychology. Her research interest has been in the areas of education of marginalised communities, identity studies, historical thinking among children and adults, and education for sustainable societies. She has been applying qualitative research methods and mix-methods in her interdisciplinary research endeavors. Dr Shalini is part of the Technical Secretariate to the National Steering Committee for National Curriculum Framework (2022) and leading the research synthesis of the Transforming Education for Sustainable Futures (TESF), a research network under the UK Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).