Rishiganga HEP: A foretold disaster for River, People and Chipko legacy

February 28, 2021March 1, 2021 SANDRP5 Comments

The February 7 2021 Chamoli deluge has completely destroyed Rishiganga Hydro Electric Project (HEP). The 13.2 MW run of the river project has also become graveyard for over 50 innocent workers and villagers. The damages to homes, bridges, forest and river eco-system is additional which cannot be restored easily.

In fact, the disaster is among the threats against which experts and locals had been warning the authorities time and again. Sadly, the past history of struggle and destruction shows that not only the state government but the judiciary also failed miserably to address the pleas of locals and assess the disaster risks in a timely manner.

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Force Multipliers in Uttarakhand disaster

February 26, 2021February 26, 2021 SANDRP4 Comments

Given below if the text of the presentation made by SANDRP coordinator on Day 1 at the FICCI-NIDM (NIDM: National Institute of Disaster Management; FICCI: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) 3-day training program on Feb 18-20, 2021 on “Resilient Infrastructure in Hilly Areas: Avalanche, GLOF & Debris Flow” in the context of the Chamoli Disaster of Feb 7, 2021.

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Dam Disaster · Landslide dam

Rishiganga Ground visit report reveals landslide dam & raises questions

February 12, 2021February 13, 2021 SANDRP2 Comments

The first ground visit report of the Rishiganga catchment in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district by Dr Naresh Rana, a geologist after the Chamoli Avalanche disaster of Feb 7, 2021 has been shared by NDTV on Feb 11, 2021 [i]. Dr Rana visited the catchment of the Rishiganga to understand the ground situation on Feb 10 ,2021 and this is possibly the first such visit since the disaster.

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CWC - Central Water Commission

Chamoli Disaster: CWC needs functioning, forecasting beyond monsoon

February 10, 2021February 10, 2021 SANDRP1 Comment

Feature image: CWC’s flow diagram map showing movement of flash flood in Alaknanda valley, Chamoli after landslide induced deluge on Feb. 7, 2021.

The landslide induced [i] flash flood disaster has left long-lasting trail of destruction along the Rishiganga-Dhauliganga-Alaknanda rivers. The flood sludge has filled up the riverbed after damaging infrastructures along the rivers. The rescue work still is underway.

The episode has reignited discussion on vulnerabilities of Uttarakhand, role of hydropower projects and climate change threats. Questions are being raised on destructive projects involving use of blasting, heavy machinery, tree felling challenging the resilience limits of fragile ecology of the region.

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Cloud Burst · Dams

उत्तराखंड: जब मेरे गांव में बादल फटा

August 3, 2020August 3, 2020 SANDRP2 Comments

कमल पंवार का अतिथि लेख

28 जुलाई के सबेरे तीन बजे के आस पास गाँव में कोलाहल मच गया। भारी बारिश के बीच गाँव के ऊपरी हिस्से और बगल वाले गदेरे में अचानक भारी गाढ़ आ गई। कुछ ही देर में तेज गर्जन से मलबे की धारा गाँव के पास से होकर गुजर गई और अपने पीछे बर्बादी का भयानक मंजर छोड़ गई।

क्षेत्र के बारे में

मैं चमोली जिले के बूरा, पडेर गाँवों की बात कर रहा हूँ। ये गाँव तिमदो तोक, विकासखंड घाट में पड़ते हैं। इन गाँवों की कुल आबादी लगभग 5000 है। केवल बूरा गाँव ही लगभग 2 किलोमीटर के क्षेत्र में चार अलग-अलग भागों च्याना, चांजलि, सीमार बसा है। बूरा से ऊपर की ओर उत्तर पश्चिम दिशा में पडेर गाँव लगभग दो किलोमीटर दूर है।

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Cloud Burst

Uttarakhand Cloud Bursts in Monsoon 2019: No Doppler Radars Six Years Since 2013 Disaster

December 11, 2019December 19, 2019 SANDRP2 Comments

With the beginning of south west monsoon season 2019, many Himalayan states started witnessing exceptional rainfall events known as Cloud Bursts. The extreme weather event – like previous years- caused large scale destruction in ecologically sensitive and remotely located vulnerable hilly areas. This account compiles the available information about such incidents in Uttarakhand in 2019 SW monsoon.

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Cloud Burst

‘CLOUD BURST’ in Chouthan; NO RAIN says Disaster Control Room Pouri Garhwal

June 26, 2019July 1, 2019 SANDRPLeave a comment

Heavy and unusual rainfall struck, Chauthan Patti, on June 23, 2019. The region is comprised of 72 villages in Thailisain Tehsil of Pouri Garhwal, Uttrakhand. The remote mountain region is settled in and around buffer zone of Dudhatoli reserve forest. It also borders the Almora and Chamoli districts of Uttarakhand.

(“इति जोरग बरख लागि छ, हम भैर-भीतर नि अय स्की, हमूल अपण जमन मै यैस अंधकोप नी देख, हमूल जाण याल छ, गाढ़-गेदरयुग गुगाट, जरूर कखि ढोल-फ़ोल करल”) “It rained so heavily that we could not move from inside-out vice a versa, we had never seen such a heavy downpour in our lifetime, the streams were full and roaring, we had guessed, it would certainly cause damages” said an elderly woman of Syunsal village, in Garhwali language.

The rain lasted for about two hours beginning around 3 pm. Two days after the deluge, which many villagers are now terming as cloud burst, the details of damages is coming out, though in piece meal.

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Ganga · Ramganga

Ramganga West – A Ganga Tributary or A Garbage River?

June 2, 2019July 5, 2020 SANDRPLeave a comment

Ramganga (West) River originates from the western part of Dudhatoli reserve forest lying between Thailisain block in Pouri and Gairsain tehsil in Chamoli districts of Uttrakhand state. It is an important tributary of National River Gaga. The total length of the river is about 596 km. For first 200 km the river flows in Uttarakhand state and the remaining length falls in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Before it descends into plains, it is impounded by Kalagarh dam inside Jim Corbett National park.

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Dams · Monsoon

Uttarakhand Monsoon 2018 Overview: Rainfall Normal, Distribution Abnormal

October 18, 2018October 19, 2018 SANDRPLeave a comment

Uttrakhand has received 3% below normal rainfall during South West Monsoon 2018. Though the figure falls in normal category, however district level rainfall data paints a very different picture. Out of total 13 districts in the Himalayan state, four districts namely Almora, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal and Udham Singh Nagar have received deficit rains, whereas three districts which includes Bageshwar, Chamoli and Haridwar have got rainfall in excess. Out of the rest six districts four are on marginally positive side and two are on marginally negative side.

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Cloud Burst

Uttrakhand Cloudburst Incidents 2018

July 21, 2018July 21, 2018 SANDRP2 Comments

Uttrakhand is a disaster prone State. Earthquakes, Forest Fires, Flash Floods and Landslides keep occurring here round the year. The cloud burst events have also made entry to the disaster list. During past many years, local people have gradually become familiar with the term CLOUD BURST. The freak weather incident seems striking the state in increased number and frequency year after year.

Midway through the 2018 monsoon, there have already been about a dozen cloud burst events across the state.

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