Joshimath: The scenic Indian town in danger of sinking

Many residents of the picturesque town of Joshimath in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand are leaving their homes after cracks appeared on walls and in other places.

The state’s chief minister says he has asked experts to prepare reports, and will be visiting Joshimath soon.

Experts say the land is slowly sinking in several parts of the town because of over-construction, population pressure and extreme weather events, which are now occurring frequently.

It isn’t a recent problem - the issue of houses sinking was mentioned in a 1976 report by a government committee, which visited the area after residents complained of cracks in their houses.

The BBC’s Vineet Khare and Deepak Jasrotia visited Joshimath and spoke to some residents who were staring at an uncertain future. Since then, the situation has worsened.