DEHRADUN: An ongoing geotechnical survey conducted by the Public Works Department (PWD) in subsidence-affected Joshimath town has indicated the absence of hard rock up to a depth of 80 metres. The preliminary findings confirm previous assessment of the area which had found that the town is built on moraine and, therefore, prone to subsidence.The survey, focusing on areas experiencing vertical sinking, has identified six locations across the town. The assessment is being done keeping in mind the findings of the reports of central technical institutions. While the initial point revealed no presence of hard rock, the survey team will proceed to the second identified location for further examination, followed by the investigation of the remaining four sites, RS Chauhan, executive engineer, PWD, told TOI on Wednesday.The objective is to evaluate the lands bearing capacity and the presence of hard rocks beneath the surface. We also published the following articles recentlyPWD to conduct road safety audit of district, village roadsGoas PWD is finally opening tenders for a long-awaited road safety audit for district and village roads. The audit, costing Rs 6 crore, will cover over 1,100 km of major district roads and around 4,400 km of village roads. CM Pramod Sawant first spoke of the need for this audit 11 months ago. The audit will address road geometrics, signages, speed breaker dimensions, and more. Despite a previous audit of national and state highways in Goa, defects still need to be addressed, with the lack of land being a major obstacle.Charging and battery concerns impact Electric Vehicle reliability, survey indicatesA U.S. non-profit organization conducted a survey revealing that electric vehicles (EVs) face reliability challenges, particularly with charging and battery issues. According to Consumer Reports Annual Auto Reliability survey, new EVs encounter 79% more problems than traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. Hybrid vehicles have fewer issues compared to gasoline cars, while plug-in hybrids have 146% more problems. Legacy automakers struggle with limited experience in handling batteries, charging, and motors. In brand rankings, Tesla secured the 14th position and emerged as the second-best U.S. automaker. Asian carmakers dominated the top 10, with Lexus leading and Toyota securing the second position.

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