Brief Context
Context Land subsidence at a dumping ground in Belgachia, West Bengal, left hundreds of families without water and electricity, highlighting the growing challenges of man-made urban crises. What is Land Subsidence? According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), subsidence is the “sinking of the ground because of underground material movement”.
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Syllabus: GS1/ Urbanization Issues
Context
- Land subsidence at a dumping ground in Belgachia, West Bengal, left hundreds of families without water and electricity, highlighting the growing challenges of man-made urban crises.
What is Land Subsidence?
- According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), subsidence is the “sinking of the ground because of underground material movement”.
- It can happen for a host of reasons, man-made or natural, such as the removal of water, oil, or natural resources, along with mining activities.
- Across the world, many cities are slowly sinking including tropical megacities like Jakarta in Indonesia or Manila in the Philippines, or places like New Orleans, Vancouver, Mexico City etc.
- 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, industrial, and agricultural use causes aquifers to collapse.
- Unregulated Dumping of Waste: Municipal solid waste piles exert heavy pressure on land, especially if dumped on weak or marshy soils.
- Rapid Urbanization: High-rise buildings and infrastructure projects put enormous pressure on the land without assessing the soil’s carrying capacity.
- Natural Causes: Geological faults, tectonic activities, and the dissolution of underground rocks (e.g., limestone in karst areas).
Impacts of Land Subsidence
- Damage to Infrastructure: Cracks in roads, bridges, buildings, and pipelines increase maintenance cost for urban local bodies.
- Displacement of Populations: Slum dwellers and low-income families living near landfills or unstable areas are worst affected.
- Public Health Crisis: It increases the risk of urban flooding and vector-borne diseases.
- Exposure to chemical sludge and foul gases impacts respiratory and digestive health.
Way Ahead
- Scientific Landfill Management: Urban waste must be segregated, recycled, and processed using modern techniques.
- Height and weight restrictions on landfills must be enforced, with constant monitoring of slope stability.
- Soil testing and simulation models should be used to predict the likelihood of subsidence. Installing early warning systems could help prevent disasters in densely populated areas.
- Reviving local governance through elected municipal representatives is crucial. Without accountable civic bodies, disasters like Belgachia are likely to recur.
- Ragpickers must be integrated into urban development plans.
Source: TH