Uttarakhand

• 08 Jul 2024

Earthquake in Chamoli

Why in News?

Recently, an Earthquake hit the Chamoli region of Uttarakhand with its epicentre near the town of Joshimath. 

Key Points

• According to the National Center for Seismology, the earthquake had a magnitude of 3.5 on the Richter scale and came amid heavy rainfall and landslides in the region.

Joshimath 

• Joshimath is a hilly town located on the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway (NH-7) in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
• The city serves as a tourist town as it acts as an overnight rest stop for people visiting Badrinath, Auli, Valley of Flowers, and Hemkund Sahib, among other important religious and tourist locations in the state.
• Joshimath is also of great strategic importance to the Indian armed forces and is home to one of the Army's most important cantonments.
• The town (fall in high-risk seismic Zone-V) is traversed by running streams with a high gradient from Vishnuprayag, a confluence of the Dhauliganga and the Alaknanda rivers.

Char Dham Yatra Halted

Why in News?

• The Char Dham yatra has been temporarily halted for two days due to a heavy rain warning issued by the Regional Meteorological Centre.

Key Points

• Heavy rain has triggered landslides, blocking over 100 roads, including major National Highways. 

Landslide

• A landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope.
• They are a type of mass wasting, which denotes any downward movement of soil and rock under the direct influence of gravity.
• The term landslide encompasses five modes of slope movement: falls, topples, slides, spreads, and flows.

Char Dham Yatra

• Yamunotri Dham:
  • Location: Uttarkashi district.
  • Dedicated to: Goddess Yamuna.
  • River Yamuna is the second-most sacred river in India after River Ganga.
• Gangotri Dham:
  • Location: Uttarkashi district.
  • Dedicated to: Goddess Ganga.
  • Considered the most sacred of all Indian rivers.
• Kedarnath Dham:
  • Location: Rudraprayag district.
  • Dedicated to: Lord Shiva.
  • Situated on the bank of the Mandakini River.
  • One of the 12 Jyotirlingas (divine representations of Lord Shiva) in India.
• Badrinath Dham:
  • Location: Chamoli district.
  • Home to the sacred Badrinarayan Temple.
  • Dedicated to: Lord Vishnu.
  • One of the holy shrines for Vaishnavites.