Uttarakhand: Disaster in making? Bageshwar faces Joshimath-like collapse as expert panel raises alarm
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A government-appointed expert panel has issued a strong warning about the dangers of unregulated mining in Uttarakhand's Bageshwar district. In a detailed report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 30 July, the committee said the area is showing early signs of disaster similar to those that led to the subsidence of Jyotirmath (earlier known as Joshimath) in January 2023.The panel, which includes experts from the Geological Survey of India, Uttarakhand Landslide Mitigation and Management Centre, Department of Geology and Mining, and the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, inspected 61 soapstone mines across Bageshwar, Kanda, and Dugnakuri tehsils. Their findings were alarming. Unsafe mining practices, such as vertical digging without support benches, dumping waste directly into natural streams, and mining dangerously close to homes and farmland, have left the region highly unstable and prone to landslides and rockfalls. The district also lies in seismic zone V, which is most vulnerable to earthquakes.The report highlighted clear similarities with the Jyotirmath tragedy, where over 800 homes developed cracks due to poor drainage and construction in fragile terrain. 'A Jyotirmath-type crisis is in the making if the current practices continue,' the committee warned. The lack of slope stability data and poor mapping of water sources have made regulation even more difficult.Residents in the Kanda-Kanyal valley have reported frequent landslides, cracks in buildings, reduced crop yields, and the drying up of springs. The experts observed ground shifts and found that many water springs had either dried up or were contaminated. In some areas, mining was taking place just metres from houses and farms, violating environmental guidelines. Satellite imagery has also confirmed movement of the land around mining zones.The committee has recommended urgent actions, including mandatory slope stability checks , the use of satellite and seismic monitoring, digital tracking of mining leases, and mapping of all local water sources. It also advised setting up clear buffer zones between mines and residential areas and taking strict action against leaseholders breaking the rules.The NGT has now ordered that no mining should resume in geologically sensitive areas until a proper seismic study is completed and reviewed by a recognised body.This is not the first time Bageshwar's mining issues have reached the courts. In December 2024, a court-appointed inspection team reported interference during their visit, officials allegedly tried to block the inquiry, offered bribes, and pressured villagers into silence. The Uttarakhand High Court then put a stop to all mining activities in the area and later summoned the Director General of Mines Safety to explain why heavy machinery had been allowed, despite the ban. Police later seized 124 excavators, and the state pollution board suspended environmental clearances for more than 100 mines and issued notices to 54 operators.During a hearing on 9 June 2025, the High Court directed a field inspection by the Geological Survey of India and the Central Ground Water Board. This followed complaints from villagers about rainwater collecting in abandoned mine pits ahead of the monsoon season. The court said these artificial ponds, along with blocked natural streams, were worsening slope instability and could cause major damage if not dealt with urgently. It also raised concern for low-income families still living in the high-risk zones, while wealthier families had already moved out.With the monsoon intensifying, experts say immediate action is needed to prevent another disaster like Jyotirmath. The future of thousands of lives in Bageshwar may depend on what the authorities do next.Inputs from TOI
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Time of India
14 hours ago
- Time of India
Uttarakhand: Disaster in making? Bageshwar faces Joshimath-like collapse as expert panel raises alarm
A government panel has warned that unregulated mining in Uttarakhand's Bageshwar district reflects the conditions that preceded the Jyotirmath disaster. Unsafe practices, including unsupported excavation and the dumping of waste, are destabilising the region, which is prone to earthquakes. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has halted mining activities in sensitive areas pending seismic studies, following court concerns over environmental violations and risks to local residents. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A government-appointed expert panel has issued a strong warning about the dangers of unregulated mining in Uttarakhand's Bageshwar district. In a detailed report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 30 July, the committee said the area is showing early signs of disaster similar to those that led to the subsidence of Jyotirmath (earlier known as Joshimath) in January panel, which includes experts from the Geological Survey of India, Uttarakhand Landslide Mitigation and Management Centre, Department of Geology and Mining, and the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, inspected 61 soapstone mines across Bageshwar, Kanda, and Dugnakuri tehsils. Their findings were alarming. Unsafe mining practices, such as vertical digging without support benches, dumping waste directly into natural streams, and mining dangerously close to homes and farmland, have left the region highly unstable and prone to landslides and rockfalls. The district also lies in seismic zone V, which is most vulnerable to report highlighted clear similarities with the Jyotirmath tragedy, where over 800 homes developed cracks due to poor drainage and construction in fragile terrain. 'A Jyotirmath-type crisis is in the making if the current practices continue,' the committee warned. The lack of slope stability data and poor mapping of water sources have made regulation even more in the Kanda-Kanyal valley have reported frequent landslides, cracks in buildings, reduced crop yields, and the drying up of springs. The experts observed ground shifts and found that many water springs had either dried up or were contaminated. In some areas, mining was taking place just metres from houses and farms, violating environmental guidelines. Satellite imagery has also confirmed movement of the land around mining committee has recommended urgent actions, including mandatory slope stability checks , the use of satellite and seismic monitoring, digital tracking of mining leases, and mapping of all local water sources. It also advised setting up clear buffer zones between mines and residential areas and taking strict action against leaseholders breaking the NGT has now ordered that no mining should resume in geologically sensitive areas until a proper seismic study is completed and reviewed by a recognised is not the first time Bageshwar's mining issues have reached the courts. In December 2024, a court-appointed inspection team reported interference during their visit, officials allegedly tried to block the inquiry, offered bribes, and pressured villagers into silence. The Uttarakhand High Court then put a stop to all mining activities in the area and later summoned the Director General of Mines Safety to explain why heavy machinery had been allowed, despite the ban. Police later seized 124 excavators, and the state pollution board suspended environmental clearances for more than 100 mines and issued notices to 54 a hearing on 9 June 2025, the High Court directed a field inspection by the Geological Survey of India and the Central Ground Water Board. This followed complaints from villagers about rainwater collecting in abandoned mine pits ahead of the monsoon season. The court said these artificial ponds, along with blocked natural streams, were worsening slope instability and could cause major damage if not dealt with urgently. It also raised concern for low-income families still living in the high-risk zones, while wealthier families had already moved the monsoon intensifying, experts say immediate action is needed to prevent another disaster like Jyotirmath. The future of thousands of lives in Bageshwar may depend on what the authorities do from TOI
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Before NGT hearing, its team to assess UT's waste reality
Chandigarh: With the motive to inspect current status of both solid and liquid waste management in the city, a team from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is expected to visit Chandigarh. Though the exact date of the visit is yet to be officially informed, sources revealed that the team will come to the city either in the third or fourth week of August. The development is crucial because the hearing of the Chandigarh-related cases of waste management is scheduled before the NGT in the second week of September, where the MC will have to submit the progress report of each aspect of waste management. Since the NGT team comprises a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) member or scientist along with other technical officials, the team will physically visit the prime waste management sites, including the sewage treatment plants (STPs), garbage dump sites, and choes. After visiting and assessing the waste management, the team will submit its report to the NGT before the hearing. "Though clearing the legacy waste is taking some time due to the monsoon season, except for this, we have done all work and achieved 100% results in the management of both solid and liquid waste. Our STPs are functioning as per parameters, the choes are largely free from any type of waste discharge, and constant monitoring is being done of all choes too. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Access all TV channels anywhere, anytime Techno Mag Learn More Thus, we are ready with our progress report," sources in the MC revealed. Moreover, the Chandigarh municipal corporation has also started preparing reports to submit before the NGT regarding works done for both solid and liquid waste management in the city. "Since different departments are looking after the works related to waste management, they have been preparing their reports that will be shown to the NGT team and subsequently to the tribunal during the hearing that is scheduled in September. " In the recent NGT review meeting, the chief secretary of Chandigarh administration lambasted the MC for not clearing the legacy waste by July 31, set deadline for the work. The MC set a new deadline for the end of September to clear this piled-up waste, but the chief secretary expressed dissatisfaction with the new deadline and instructed them to clear the dump as soon as possible. Though the MC officials explained to the chief secretary during the review meeting that constant rains during the ongoing monsoon season played a major role in hindering progress, the chief secretary asked the MC to fulfil the work soon despite any hurdle.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Bageshwar mining poses grave danger, govt panel says in alarming report
1 2 3 Dehradun: Unregulated mining in Bageshwar has triggered slope instability, spring depletion and land subsidence, creating conditions that mirror those seen in Jyotirmath (earlier named Joshimath) before its collapse, a technical committee told National Green Tribunal (NGT) on July 30 in an alarming report. The expert panel, constituted by the govt, warned that the region faced an impending disaster unless immediate corrective measures were taken to prevent further ecological and geological damage. The committee included experts from the Geological Survey of India, the Uttarakhand Landslide Mitigation and Management Centre, the Department of Geology and Mining, and the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing. It surveyed 61 soapstone mines across Bageshwar, Kanda and Dugnakuri tehsils, and found unsafe excavation practices such as vertical cutting without benches, direct dumping of mining debris into natural drainage, and encroachment near homes, fields and springs. The report flagged that these activities had made the terrain extremely prone to landslides and rockfalls, especially with the district falling under seismic zone V — the highest risk zone for earthquakes. The panel's report drew comparisons with the Jan 2023 Jyotirmath subsidence, where over 800 homes developed cracks due to poor drainage and construction in a geologically fragile zone. The committee said, "A Jyotirmath-type crisis is in the making if the current practices continue." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Access all TV channels anywhere, anytime Techno Mag Learn More Undo The report also noted that there was inadequate documentation of slope modifications and no mapping of water resources, making regulation difficult and ineffective. Residents of Kanda-Kanyal valley, where a concentration of mines operates, had reported recurring landslides, cracks in houses, declining crop yields and drying of water sources. The team observed ground deformation and found that several springs had either deteriorated in quality or stopped flowing altogether. Satellite data confirmed ground shifts near mining sites. In some locations, mining activity extended within metres of houses and farmlands, violating environmental norms and compounding the risk of slope failure during monsoon. The panel recommended mandatory slope stability assessments, scientific monitoring using local seismic networks and satellite data, digitisation of mining leases, and mapping of local water sources. It also suggested enforcement of buffer zones between mines and human settlements, and holding leaseholders accountable for violations. NGT, which is hearing the matter, directed that mining must not resume in geotectonically sensitive areas unless a seismic study is completed and reviewed by a competent body. In Dec 2024, a court-appointed inspection team had flagged "official obstruction" during its visit to Bageshwar. The commissioners informed Uttarakhand high court that officers on site attempted to interfere with their inquiry, offered bribes, and discouraged villagers from speaking. Following this, HC stayed all mining activity in Bageshwar and later summoned DG of mines safety in Feb to explain why heavy machinery had been permitted despite existing court orders. Police later seized 124 excavators, and the state pollution control board suspended clearances for over 100 mines while issuing notices to 54 operators. During a hearing on June 9, HC directed GSI and the Central Ground Water Board to conduct a field inspection after villagers reported water accumulation in abandoned mine pits ahead of monsoon. The court noted that these artificial ponds, combined with choked natural drains, were increasing slope instability and could lead to widespread damage if not addressed before heavy rains. It also pointed out that many low-income families remained in affected areas, while those who could afford it had already moved out.
