New Delhi, June 13: Sinkholes are now emerging dramatically around places and at different landscapes. Be it Mexico a few days or one on Sunday in Mumbai Ghatkopar, scenes like these are frightening to imagine with the ground below your feet sinking out of nowhere.

Incident like these are a growing trend worldwide due to exploitation of groundwater with less regard for water drainage systems. Car Swallowed Mysteriously by Sinkhole in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar area, Scary Video Goes Viral on Social Media.

What Are Sinkholes?

Sinkholes mainly occur in land surfaces which is abundant in limestone, salt beds and carbonated rocks. This is because the surface below rapidly absorbs the groundwater and dissolving the rock and carbonated content below the ground. Dissolution enlarges the opening in the rocks forming a depression at the ground surface. Massive Sinkhole Opens In Mexico; Here's Everything You Need To Know About The Growing Mysterious Sinkhole Threatening To Swallow a House.

These are natural sinkholes and may occur in large sizes. Sinkholes in Kentucky, Mount Gambier In Australia, Apia in Samoa, Darvaza Crater in Turkmenistan are natural and attract tourist from across the world. Israel: Sinkhole Appears In Jerusalem Hospital Parking Lot, Three Cars Swallowed.

But this sudden collapse of land can be dramatic because surface land may seem intact but the underground space goes through a long process leading to these sinkholes. this collapse can be small or big depending upon rock formation below the ground.

The one in Mumbai is the result of human activities with over-exploitation of groundwater and less regard to natural drainage patterns occurring below the ground. Normally sinkholes occur slowly and thus the surface changes are usually visible. But in cases occurring in urban settings can have a dramatic effect and lead to damage of infrastructure and human life. It is mainly due to man-made reasons when groundwater is unable to recharge accordingly.

Activities like drilling, drainage excavations, laying pipelines and deforestation can fasten the process of losing groundwater and inducing sinkholes. These activities increase the downward movement of water beyond the natural rate of groundwater recharge. Increased runoff of water through impervious surfaces like roads, parking lots etc can also accelerate the man-made sinkhole collapses.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 13, 2021 10:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).