Recently Uttarakhand in North India saw flash floods as a piece of Nanda Devi glacier broke off at Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. As of the evening of 9th February, about 100 workers from Tapovan Reni are missing and 31 are dead. ITBP, NDRF, SDRF* are working together in a rescue operation in the Tapovan Tunnel.
*ITBP: Indo Tibetan Border Police; NDRF: National Disaster Response Force
SDRF: State Disaster Response Force
What caused it?
The flash flood occurred due to a glacial burst. A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) occurs when the dam containing the glacial lake water is breached. This leads to rapid release of water downstream which magnifies downstream. The possible cause of the outburst is not certain but most likely it is due to climate change. However, construction could be another reason.
Previous Disasters in Uttarakhand
1991 Uttarkashi Earthquake: An earthquake of 6.8 magnitude hit the undivided state of Uttar Pradesh killing 768 people and displacing thousands.
1998 Malpa Landslide: The small village of Malpa in Pithoragarh district was wiped in the landslide in which about 255 people were killed.
1999 Chamoli earthquake: An earthquake of 6.8 magnitude hit Chamoli district killing over 100 people.
2013 North India Floods: A multi-day cloudburst caused devastating floods and landslides. More than 5,700 people were presumed dead in the disaster.
The Government’s response
Flood Management is a state subject and the primary responsibility for it lies with the states. Central government has taken various initiatives and set up a number of organisations like the NDMA* which has come up with comprehensive guidelines.
Other measures:
Landslides and blockages in rivers to be monitored
Inhabitation of low-lying areas along the rivers and drains to be regulated Flash floods forecasting and warning systems
*NDMA: National Disaster Management Authority
A River Basin Organisations to deal with the management of water resources at river basin level and National Flood Management Institute to impart training to various stakeholders have been proposed.
More efforts are required like putting in place a techno-legal regime to make structures flood-proof and regulate the activities in the flood plains. Flood forecasting and warning and Decision Support System too should be established.
How can you help?
If you are stranded/know someone who’s stranded in affected areas and need any help. Please contact Disaster Operations Center number 1070 or 9557444486.
Payments can be made by directly depositing an amount into the account of the Mukhya Mantri Rahat Kosh, or via UPI. These payments should be addressed to "cmukrf@sbi".
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