JUNE 14, 2022
A study published in a scientific journal has rung alarm bells for Indian megacity Mumbai. The study says that the coastal city is sinking into the sea. And though the rte of 2 mm per year may seem small, the report has recommended that urgent remedial measures should be taken in order to avoid increased flooding in future.
The study has been published in Geophysical Research Letters journal. It said that sinking of Mumbai city was due to a phenomenon called land subsidence. The study, carried out by researchers at University of Rhode Island is titled Subsidence in Coastal Cities Throughout the World Observed by InSAR. It studied land subsidence in 99 countries in the world.
It found that Tianjin in China was the fastest sinking city in the world. The city is sinking at the rate of 5 cm per year.
Land subsidence is downward, vertical movement of the earth. Land subsidence is permanent and irreversible. This is why it is critical to prevent it rather than try for measures afterwards.
The study has found that Tianjin is the fastest sinking city in the world. These are the cities that find place on the list next.
Semarang (3.96cm per year) and Jakarta (3.44cm per year) in Indonesia, Shanghai (2.94cm year) in China, and Ho Chi Minh (2.81mm per year) and Hanoi (2.44cm per year) in Vietnam.
