हमारे देश के ही नहीं पर सुदूर संवेदन तकनीक पर काम करने वाले दुनिया भर के ज्यादातर वैज्ञानिको का मानना है कि 7 फरवरी 2021 को धौलीगंगा में सर्दियों में आयी बाढ़ के लिये जलागम क्षेत्र में हुवा हिम-स्खलन ही उत्तरदायी है।
इसके विपरीत उत्तराखण्ड राज्य आपदा प्रबन्धन प्राधिकरण में काम करने वाले और वैज्ञानिक दुनिया से अछूते कुछ लोग जिनका सरगना पीयूष रौतेला है, दावा करते है कि यह सब जो हुवा उसके लिये उस समय ऋषिगंगा व धौलीगंगा के प्रवाह में आया अवरोध उत्तरदायी है। पीयूष रौतेला का कहना है कि, “दूर अन्तरिक्ष से लिये गये चित्रों के आधार पर निकाले गये निष्कर्षो के विपरीत यह अध्ययन क्षेत्र से जुटाये गये भू – वैज्ञानिक साक्ष्यों पर आधारित है और इसके सच के ज्यादा करीब होने की अधिक सम्भावना है।”
“फिर हमें ऋषिगंगा व धौलीगंगा नदियों का प्रवाह के पूर्व में बाधित होने के साक्ष्य भी दो अलग – अलग जगहों पर मिले है और यह हमारे निष्कर्षो को पुख्ता करने के लिये काफी है।”
इस विषय पर विस्तार से जानने के लिये क्लिक करे: https://ojs.bilpublishing.com/index.php/jees/article/view/306
Despite main river, Rishiganga, blocked by debris brought down by the floodwaters of a 2nd order hitherto unheard of stream (Raunthi Gadhera) with catchment area of just 83 sq km there was a flood that generated enough water without any rains during the lean flow winter season in the morning hours of February 7, 2021 to increase the water level of Alaknanda river by 16.09 m at Marwari that is 18 km downstream of Tapoban where additional discharge was assessed as being 1629 cumecs. The flood completely silted the dam site of 520 MW Tapovan – Vishnugad hydroelectric project and wiped out another 13.2 MW hydroelectric project upstream around Rini and caused death of 204 persons.
Unlike most remote sensing experts including Shugar (Science, 2021, 373, 6552, 300-306) and others that attribute the flood to an avalanche and remobilisation of trapped water of the previous avalanche debris of 2016, a team of Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) led by Dr. Piyoosh Rautela based on field investigations carried out in the area suggest that Dhauliganga valley has always been vulnerable to river blockade and related floods and they attribute the present flood to sequential intermittent damming at three different places; (i) Raunthi Gadhera being dammed first in its upper reaches, (ii) Rishiganga river dammed subsequently to the north of Murunna, and (iii) finally Dhauliganga river being dammed around Rini village to the upstream of its confluence with Rishiganga river.
The USDMA team claims that the flood would not have been that devastating, had there not been intermittent damming of the river course.
The USDMA team attributes life loss to lacking warning system in the region and recommends legally binding disaster risk assessment regime, together with robust warning generation and dissemination infrastructure for all major infrastructure projects in the region.
If that sounds convincing or interesting you can read their version of the story at: https://ojs.bilpublishing.com/index.php/jees/article/view/306
It requires courage to stand apart and state what you feel is right. This would certainly be criticised and ridiculed by proponents of avalanche activity but then one has to stand by what one thinks is right. Congratulations and best of luck.
Going through the news reports I was convinced that the event was triggered by avalanche activity but then this is another side of the story. The narrative is well researched and backed by solid field evidence.
The link states the event was accompanied by abnormal rise in temperature but then this rise is linked to climate change or some other local weather fluctuation ?
Very informative and indicates the real threat in future possible similar incidents if corrective measures are not taken at adequate times.