The glacial burst in Uttarakhand puts focus back on climate change
The glacial burst in Uttarakhand puts focus back on climate change
BusinessToday.In
- Feb 8, 2021,
- Updated Feb 8, 2021 1:49 PM IST
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The morning of February 7 was like any other for residents of Joshimath and nearby areas, till the hills began to shake. The Nanda Devi glacier broke, flooding the areas along the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers in Uttarakhand. A day after the tragedy, rescue efforts are still on and climate experts have attributed the unfortunate incident to rising temperatures that have caused ice to melt.
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Damages and destruction
At least 7 people have died and 170 are still missing as rescue operations are on in full swing. It is projected that the casualties may go up as many villagers and shepherds have been swept away in the rivers. 180 sheep and goats have also been swept away.Several labourers are still trapped inside a tunnel in the Tapovan project. Around 16 of them have been rescued. Two power projects, NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project, were extensively damaged with scores of labourers trapped in tunnels as water came rushing in.
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Grim reminder of Kedarnath disaster
The Uttarakhand glacier disaster came as a grim reminder of the Kedarnath deluge of 2013, which led to widespread devastation in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region. However, unlike the Kedarnath tragedy that struck after a downpour, the flash flood on Sunday occurred on a bright and sunny morning, which helped in relief and rescue operations.
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Rescue teams
State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and ITBP personnel rushed to the spot and are working in the affected areas, especially in helping people trapped in tunnels. The following columns have been deployed at Reni Village near Joshimath: 2 x columns from Joshimath and 2x columns from Auli have been deployed. Two columns are on standby. One column has 30-35 army personnel.
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Compensation for kin of deceased
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives due to the avalanche. The PMO also said Rs 50,000 would be given to those seriously injured. CM Trivendra Singh Rawat said families of those dead in Sunday's disaster will be given Rs 4 lakh as compensation.
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Climate change to blame?Glacial retreats and thawing of permafrost are considered primary reasons for such disasters. These increase the number of glacial lakes in the Himalayan region. These changes cause landslides, floods and other changes which prove to be dangerous for life in the regions. Climate experts explain that climate change is leading to more natural hazards and their frequency has increased.