Despite housing a number of these, Uttarakhand tunnel projects witnessed the heat of review, close scrutiny and critique from various ends including general public and media after the Silkyara tunnel disaster in which 41 workers were trapped and could be rescued only after 17 days on 28 November 2023.
Recent disasters
Why is Joshimath sinking
Why is Joshimath sinking all of a sudden is an obvious question that comes to the mind of people following incidences in Uttarakhand. Piping of finer material embedded in the old slide material on the valley slope by the breach of some confined aquifer and accompanying distress seems to be the logical explanation. Scientific and technical institutions investigating the causes of distress are sure to add value to this assumption.
October heat & Uttarakhand disaster
Abnormal rainfall in the post-monsoon season of 2021 took toll of 82 human lives of which 22% were trekkers. This warrants a robust policy for high altitude trekking wherein safety of persons venturing to high altitude areas is ensured.
Lessons from August 1894 LLOF of the Alaknanda valley
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 […]
Marching ahead from Sumna
With the bodies of all the 18 persons missing in the avalanche incidence of April 23, 2021 around Sumna in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand having been recovered, dispatched back home to Jharkhand, and laid to rest, the search operation has come to an end. Amid increasing tendency of labelling every incidence as being man-made the debate on […]
Avalanche in Chamoli district kills 18
Almost after 75 days of the devastating Rishiganga–Dhauliganga flash flood tragedy of February 7, 2021 that killed 204 persons and devastated two hydropower projects, including one of 520 MW capacity at Tapoban, the region was once again in the headlines due to yet another disaster. It was an avalanche yet again, however in the previous […]
Lessons from winter season flash flood of Uttarakhand
This is not the first time when the authorities have been caught unaware but then, they had little or no clue of the Dhauliganga flood of February 7, 2021 in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand that killed 204 persons, and devastated two hydropower projects of 13.2 and 520 MW capacity at Rini, on Rishiganga river, and Tapoban, on […]
Winter season flood in the Himalayas
Winter season flood in not a common occurrence in Himalaya. During the winter season higher reaches of Himalaya are under thick cover of snow, and melting of glaciers is insignificant. Winter season is thus a lean flow period for Himalayan rivers. No one was thus had scant idea of this winter season flood in Himalaya. […]