India's 'sinking' sacred town near China border faces dark future

Critics say ill-advised development compounds Joshimath's geological risks

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A crumbling home in Joshimath on Jan. 13: Land subsidence is displacing families as well as raising potential security implications in the Indian town. © Reuters

QURATULAIN REHBAR, Contributing writer

JOSHIMATH, India -- Davindra Singh Rawat was jolted awake by a loud rumble in early January. He felt that the earth beneath his home in Joshimath, a picturesque Himalayan town, was sinking.

The next day, the 65-year-old saw many of his fellow residents on the roads, leaving behind a place many consider holy.

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