2021 – Lake in the Rishiganga valley Winter season flash flood in Rishiganga–Dhauliganga valley of Uttarakhand Himalaya on February 7, 2021 caused major devastation, particularly around the hydropower projects at Rini and Tapoban in Chamoli district. Geomorphic changes brought forth by the flash flood created a lake on Rishiganga river that has been the focus of post-disaster […]
Seismic vulnerability of built environment in Uttarakhand
With the Great Himalayan Earthquake drawing close, the present state of built environment could result in near total devastation. To avert this eventuality, we have to seriously review the state of our built environment, and identify key factors contributing to seismic vulnerability and accordingly prepare a robust, time bound and practical strategy to set our […]
Earthquakes warning from Uttarakhand – implications for UP and NCR
The inaugural Inaugurating the only functional regional earthquake early warning (EEW) system of the nation together with Uttarakhand Bhookamp Alert, a mobile application for accessing the earthquake warnings and other earthquake risk reduction related information, at Uttarakhand Secretariat in Dehradun in the forenoon of August 4, 2021, the Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reiterated the […]
Risk transfer for promoting risk reduction
Disasters often result is loss of lives, livestock, assets, property and infrastructure that often have severe adverse impact on the quality of life and livelihood strategy of the affected population. These at the same time disrupt industrial activities, commerce and routine business of the government. State has to therefore intervene for bringing forth narmalacy by […]
Landslide disasters and rainfall forecasts
Landslide is a commonly occurring phenomenon in all the mountainous regions of the world, with even the developed countries like Japan not spared. What however follows in these countries is quite different from what we practice. Rather than shifting the blame on abnormal rains and trying to manage landslides based on weather forecasts, the reasons that […]
Earthquake safety tradition in the Himalayas
Experimenting with building design and construction precepts the people living in earthquake prone Himalayan region developed a construction algorithm with five distinct principles that ensured safety of structures during earthquake incidences. Ongoing tectonic movements, ensuing subduction of the Indian Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate, and their consequent collision resulted in the evolution of the Himalayan […]
Traditional landslide management practices of Himalaya
Ignorance of traditional practices under the lure of economic opportunities, comfort, and convenience have aggravated the menace of landslides in the Himalayan region. The Himalayan region has always been prone to a number of hazards that are generally owed to its unique tectonic and geomorphic setup as also evolutionary history, and meteorological conditions. Stabilisation of […]
Disrupted bridges and missed opportunities
We encounter bridges so frequently, and in such diverse variety that we often take these for granted, and do not often pay particular attention towards their existence, leave apart appreciating their role in socio-economic development of our region, and adding comfort, and convenience to our routine lives. But then, imagine a world without bridges. But […]
Earthquake misconceptions you need to shed
If the earth moves beneath our feet, is it because the Seshanaga shrugged? Seven headed serpent king associated with Lord Vishnu, Seshanaga is generally believed by Hindus to hold the earth on his hoods, and earthquakes are considered to be caused as Seshanaga’s adjusts the massive weight on its hoods. Not many might believe in […]
June 2013: The Kedarnath saga
Kedarnath or Shree Kedarnath as it is reverentially addressed by the locals, is amongst the four Hindu sacred shrines located in Higher Himalayan region of Uttarakhand; others being Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. Not that this region has only Hindu shrines; there is Hemkund Sahib that is revered by Sikhs. Then the region also houses the […]