Josimath welcomed 4.9 lakh visitors in 2019, 4.3 lakh visitors in 2018 and 2.4 lakhs in 2017. Similarly, the towns of Char Dham had 240,000 followers in 2017 and the number This will almost double to 450,000 by 2022.
People in Joshimath of Uttarakhand protest as houses develop cracks
The burden on the two main hill stations, Mussoorie and Nainital, is also increasing. Except for the two seasons affected by the Covid epidemic (2020 and 2021), the number of visitors at these tourist destinations has increased significantly.
In 2017, Mussoorie had 270,000 visitors, 30,000 each in 2018 and 2019, 100,000 in 2020 and 120,000 in 2021.
Similarly, 9.1 thousand tourists visited Nainital in 2017, 9,3 thousand each in 2018 and 2019, 2.1 thousand in 2020 and 3.3 thousand in 2020.
Joshimath land subsidence: CM Dhami conducts ground inspection
“We need to learn from Joshimath’s experience. A scientific study of hill towns needs to be conducted. We need to know about their carrying capacity, from the point of view of tourists and locals. In 1976, Joshimath had only a few thousand people, but due to migration, this number has now reached 25,000. There is a limit for each town and we need to keep that in mind,” Anil Joshifounder of the Doon-based Himalayan Environmental Conservation & Research Organization (HESCO), told TOI.
Padma Bhushan Recipient Joshi said: “Because of the repeated negligence of the relevant authorities, the Joshimath matter did not shock me. The problem was warned in 1976, but no one noticed it. A river is flowing below, but no one cares and urbanization is accelerating. We will have to become more serious about the environment and the future of our children.” He advocates that any construction exceeding 1,000 meters “must be taken seriously and approved only after thorough research”.
Uttarakhand CM to lead Joshimath . rescue and recovery operations
Anoop Nautiyal, the founder of Social Development for the Community, which is conducting surveys in the area, said: “If we are not vigilant right now, it will not be surprising to say that the new Joshimath just a starter. Many other similar Joshimath incidents are waiting to happen in Uttarakhand and there are only days, weeks, months or years left before any similar incidents occur. We have to manage and mitigate the situation.”
