संता – भाई पिछले काफी दिनों से अखबार और टेलीविज़न के साथ-साथ सोशल मीडिया पर बस जोशीमठ ही छाया हैं। आखिर ये माजरा है क्या? बंता – हाँ भाई, हमारे कई और शहरों की तरह जोशीमठ भी पुराने भू-स्खलन के मलबे के ऊपर बसा है, और यहाँ काफी लम्बे समय से भू-धँसाव हो रहा हैं। संता […]
SAMANVAY accomplished
In case we wish us to excel, be it in any field; first and foremost we have to critically review what the counterparts are doing and shed our inhibitions, and most importantly not hesitate in accepting where the counterparts have fared well and accordingly reprogram our strategies to optimise productivity. Even though not many in […]
SAMANVAY 2022 – Day 1
Despite disaster management being the primary responsibility of civil administration, it is often overwhelmed by disaster incidences by virtue of their magnitude, impact and geographical coverage. Long drawn rescue and relief operations together with inclement weather conditions and disrupted transport network force the civil administration to resort to the support of various specialised agencies. Having […]
Earthquake early warning – An illusion
After a series of earthquakes in the recent past in western Nepal and Pithoragarh, the earthquake early warning (EEW) system operated by USDMA in Uttarakhand has been the focus of most seismic safety related debates. Obsessed with the glitter and fancy of early warning most disaster risk reduction (DRR) enthusiasts often tend to consider it the ultimate […]
Santa-Banta on landslides
संता – भाई रोज सुनते रहते हैं, आखिर यह भू-स्खलन होता क्या हैं ? बंता – Land यानी आम भाषा में कहे तो चट्टान, पत्थर, मिट्टी व मलबा। यह सब जब Slide करे या ढाल पर नीचे आये, तो उसे हम Landslide या भू- स्खलन कहते हैं। संता – वो तो ठीक है, परन्तु यह मलबा नीचे […]
For the cause of geology
The Darwinian dictum of survival of the fittest doesn’t apply just to the animal kingdom. It is as much applicable to all the fields where there is competition for staying relevant. Darwinism in academics In the academic arena, growth of any discipline is a function of its student enrolment, which is often tailored by […]
Avalanches around Kedarnath
In September 2022 avalanche activity was observed repeatedly in the mountains to the north of Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. Presence of pilgrims and others in large numbers facilitated pictographic and video records of these, and stories projecting these as posing a major hazard to the township and pilgrims became viral on social media. A […]
Skewed mitigation and increasing flood risk
Despite the situation being continuously exacerbated by climate change and unplanned urbanisation, most vulnerable of the 1.81 billion flood affected persons fail to get prioritised under risk reduction programs due to skewed selection criteria. The study Flood exposure and poverty in 188 countries – an article published recently in Nature Communications by Jun Rentschler, […]
Committee recommends monitoring of slopes around Joshimath
Observation pillars were erected on the identified vulnerable slopes around the Naini lake after devastating Sher-ka-Danda landslide of 1880 and these were monitored using theodolite till 1997 to assess the threat posed to the lake city and undertake mitigation measures, besides sounding a warning when required. Monitoring unstable slopes But then Joshimath in Chamoli district […]
Janmashtami cloudburst around Dehradun
The article posted a week ago, focused on failing risk perception of the people of the region – various factors were put forth therein as inducing these people to knowingly take risk. But then, these people routinely struggle to make the ends meet, and are for that matter left with little options to choose from. […]