Issue of Land Subsidence in Urban Areas

Context

Land subsidence at a dumping ground in Belgachia, West Bengal, left loads of families without water and electricity, highlighting the developing challenges of artificial urban crises.

About Land Subsidence

• According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), subsidence is the “sinking of the ground due to underground material movement”.
• It can take place for a host of reasons, man-made or natural, such as the removal of water, oil, or natural sources, alongside mining activities. 
• Across the world, many cities are slowly sinking which include tropical megacities like Jakarta in Indonesia or Manila in the Philippines, or places like New Orleans, Vancouver, Mexico urban and so on.
• Land subsidence has affected around 65 percent of the houses in the pilgrimage town of Joshimath in Uttarakhand in 2023.

Causes of Land Subsidence in Urban Areas

• Over-extraction of Groundwater: Unsustainable withdrawal of groundwater for domestic, commercial, and agricultural use causes aquifers to fall apart.
• Unregulated Dumping of Waste: Municipal stable waste piles exert heavy pressure on land, particularly if dumped on susceptible or marshy soils.
• Rapid Urbanization: High-rise homes and infrastructure initiatives positioned extensive stress at the land without assessing the soil’s sporting capacity.
• Natural Causes: Geological faults, tectonic activities, and the dissolution of underground rocks (e.g., limestone in karst regions).

Impacts of Land Subsidence

• Damage to Infrastructure: Cracks in roads, bridges, homes, and pipelines growth preservation price for urban local bodies.
• Displacement of Populations: Slum dwellers and low-income households residing near landfills or volatile areas are worst affected.
• Public Health Crisis: It will increase the risk of urban flooding and vector-borne diseases.
  • Exposure to chemical sludge and foul gases influences respiratory and digestive health.

Way Ahead

• Scientific Landfill Management: Urban waste must be segregated, recycled, and processed using contemporary methods.
• Height and weight restrictions on landfills ought to be enforced, with constant monitoring of slope stability.
• Soil checking out and simulation models have to be used to be expecting the likelihood of subsidence. Installing early caution systems should help prevent failures in densely populated areas.
• Reviving local governance by elected municipal representatives is important. Without accountable civic bodies, disasters like Belgachia are in all likelihood to recur.
• Ragpickers need to be included into urban development plans.

Source: The Hindu

UPSC Mains Practice Question

Q. Describe the various causes and the effects of landslides. Mention the important components of the National Landslide Risk Management Strategy. (2021)

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