This cartoon was first published in The Hindu

It’s a sinking feeling that no one wants to feel – and that’s exactly what happened in Joshimath, Uttarakhand. In just 12 days, the town sunk 5.4 cm due to a rapid subsidence event, according to satellite images released by the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) National Remote Sensing Centre.

The massive soil sinking was reported to have occurred around an Army Helipad and temple, and the crown of the subsidence was located near Joshimath-Auli road at 2,180 metres. Before this rapid subsidence event, the area had seen a much slower sinking rate between April and November last year. During that time, Joshimath had sunk by only 9 cm.

While this rapid sinking event may have surprised the residents of Joshimath, the satellite images released by ISRO give us a glimpse into the movement of the land and a warning of possible future sinkings.