BIG disaster threatening THIS close friend of India, 28 major cities ‘sinking’ due to…

The United States could be standing on the brink of a significant ecological disaster as 28 of its major cities, including New York, Seattle, and capital Washington DC, are sinking, a media report has claimed. According to a report by The Washington Post, the structural integrity of buildings, roads, dams, and other infrastructure in as many as 28 most populous US cities, is facing a grave threat due to a phenomenon called “subsidence”, which is reportedly caused by groundwater extraction.

The report, citing a new study by researchers at Virginia Tech, said at least 20 percent urban areas in these US cities is sinking, and the structural integrity of of key infrastructure, like skyscrapers, roads, dams and flyways, is under a severe threat.

Why US cities are ‘sinking’?

The researchers used satellite-based radar measurements to visualize the movement of the land underneath these cities, and have claimed that the “subsidence” phenomenon in these major urban centres is happening largely due to groundwater extraction. The research, published in the Nature Cities journal, claimed that removing groundwater has caused 80 percent sinkage across cities, putting the lives of around 34 million people living in the subsiding areas, at risk.

As per the study, while subsidence is not occurring in the same manner in each place, cities like Chicago, Dallas, Columbus, and Ohio, are among those where the decline is most widespread.

Houston ‘fastest-sinking’ US city

The researchers said in the 25 cities, it was found that at least 65 percent of the area is sinking, and more than 29,000 buildings are located in “high and very high damage risk areas, indicating a greater likelihood of infrastructure damage.”

The study highlighted that Houston city in Texas, is among one of fastest subsiding places in the country, with 42 percent of its land area subsiding faster than 5 mm per year.