 Location of India | |
| Date | August 2012 |
|---|---|
| Location | North India |
| Deaths | 31 dead, 40 missing |
2012 Himalayan flash floods are the floods that occurred on the midnight of 3 August 2012 in the Himalayan region of Northern Indian states. Many were dead and missing. Many places were affected. [1] Landslides and flash floods were triggered by a sudden cloudburst which left 31 people dead while 40 are reported to be missing. [2]
The following are the states that were affected by the torrential rain that resulted in flash floods.
Uttarakhand was the state that was most affected by the torrential rain. Ten people died and 38 others are missing as a result of the flash floods. Several houses were washed away and the Char Dham yatra has been suspended leaving the pilgrims stranded. 19 labourers at the Assi Ganga hydel power project are reported to be missing in the Uttarkashi region. Nearly 30 homes have been washed away in the Garhwal region after the Gangotri bridge collapsed. A major chunk of the Gangotri National Highway has also been washed away. [1] Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the Uttarakhand state disaster management forces are currently involved in the rescue operations in the Uttarkashi region. "Nearly 2000 people have been affected by the floods. 200 families have been evacuated from low lying regions of Uttarkashi to higher ground", said the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Vijay Bahuguna. [2] Two children were killed in a house collapse in the Karnaprayag area of Chamoli district. Another child was washed away in the flash floods at Pokhri area of the district where landslides continued, blocking the highways leading to Badrinath. In the Gangotri area, Bhagirathi is reported to be flowing above the danger level with people being evacuated to safer areas. [3]
Flash floods hit the Palchan region in Himachal Pradesh. Two bridges and a road which connects Manali to Rohtang were washed away on the night of 4 August 2012. About 120 people have been evacuated from the affected areas. A government school, an under construction hydropower project and many electricity poles were also washed away in the floods. [1]
The Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir was affected as water levels in the Ujh River rose. Twenty-three people were rescued and 90 families living near the Chenab were evacuated. [1]
Business Standard reported that the Northern Grid, which collapsed on 30 and 31 July, would be likely to come under renewed pressure as the power generation in Uttarakhand was stopped due to flash floods. The major hydel power projects were shut down following torrential rains that hit the state. In Uttarkashi district, the flash floods have caused damage to three state-run small hydel projects, which are controlled by Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd, resulting in their shut down. Due to the shut down, Uttarakhand would fall short of 18-20 million units per day during a monsoon season. [4]
References
Kedarnath is a town and Nagar Panchayat in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India, known primarily for the Kedarnath Temple. It is approximately 86.5 kilometres from Rudraprayag, the district headquarters. Kedarnath is the most remote of the four Chota Char Dham pilgrimage sites. It is located in the Himalayas, about 3,583 m (11,755 ft) above sea level near the Chorabari Glacier, which is the source of the Mandakini River. The town is flanked by snow-capped peaks, most prominently the Kedarnath Mountain. The nearest road head is at Gaurikund about 16 km away. The town suffered extensive destruction during June 2013 from the Flash Floods caused by torrential rains in Uttarakhand state.
A cloudburst is an enormous amount of precipitation in a short period of time, sometimes accompanied by hail and thunder, which is capable of creating flood conditions. Cloudbursts can quickly dump large amounts of water, e.g. 25 mm of the precipitation corresponds to 25,000 metric tons per square kilometre. However, cloudbursts are infrequent as they occur only via orographic lift or occasionally when a warm air parcel mixes with cooler air, resulting in sudden condensation. At times, a large amount of runoff from higher elevations is mistakenly conflated with a cloudburst. The term "cloudburst" arose from the notion that clouds were akin to water balloons and could burst, resulting in rapid precipitation. Though this idea has since been disproven, the term remains in use.
Yamunotri, also Jamnotri, is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the Goddess Yamuna in Hinduism. It is situated at an altitude of 3,293 metres (10,804 ft) in the Garhwal Himalayas and located approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) North of Uttarkashi, the headquarters of the Uttarkashi district in the Garhwal Division of Uttarakhand, India. It is one of the four sites in India's Chota Char Dham pilgrimage. The sacred shrine of Yamunotri, source of the river Yamuna, is the westernmost shrine in the Garhwal Himalayas, perched atop a flank of the Bandarpunch mountain. The chief attraction at Yamunotri is the temple devoted to the Goddess Yamuna and the holy thermal springs at Janki Chatti which is 7 km away.
The Chota Char Dham is an important modern Hindu pilgrimage circuit in Uttarakhand, in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal region of the state of Uttarakhand, the circuit consists of four sites—Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. Badrinath is also one of the four destinations of the longer Char Dham from which the Chota Char Dham likely draws its name.
Uttarkashi District is a district of Garhwal division of the Uttarakhand state in northern India, and has its headquarters at Uttarkashi city. It has six Tehsils namely Barkot, Dunda, Bhatwadi, Chinyalisaur, Purola and Mori.
Uttarkashi, meaning Kashi of the north, is a town located in Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand, India. Uttarkashi town is headquarters of the district. Uttarkashi is also known as Somya Kashi. Uttarkashi is a Hindu religious place for spiritual and adventurous tourism. Uttarkashi town is also called as Shivnagri. The town has number of temples and ashrams. Uttarkashi is known for its religious people, weather, education.
Kedarnath Temple is a Hindu temple, one of the twelve jyotirlinga of Shiva. The temple is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river, in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Due to extreme weather conditions, the temple is open to the general public only between the months of April and November. During the winters, the vigraha (deity) of the temple is carried down to Ukhimath to be worshipped for the next six months. Kedarnath is seen as a homogeneous form of Shiva, the 'Lord of Kedarkhand', the historical name of the region.
Harsil is a village, tourist hill station and army area located on the banks of the Bhagirathi River, on the way to Gangotri, a Hindu pilgrimage site in Uttarkashi district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand has a total geographic area of 53,483 km2, of which 86% is mountainous and 65% is covered by forest. Most of the northern parts of the state are part of Greater Himalaya ranges, covered by the high Himalayan peaks and glaciers, while the lower foothills were densely forested till denuded by the British log merchants and later, after independence, by forest contractors. Recent efforts in reforestation, however, have been successful in restoring the situation to some extent. The unique Himalayan ecosystem plays host to many animals, plants and rare herbs. Two of India's great rivers, the Ganges and the Yamuna take birth in the glaciers of Uttarakhand, and are fed by myriad lakes, glacial melts and streams.
Pragya is a development organisation which addresses the needs of people living in areas such as high-altitude regions and areas emerging from conflict. Pragya implements projects in the high-altitude Himalayan regions of India and Nepal, and the highlands and savannas of East Africa.
Yamunotri Temple is a Hindu temple, situated in the western region of Garhwal Himalayas at an altitude of 3,291 metres (10,797 ft) in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, India. It's just 129 km from Uttarkashi, the main district headquarters. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna, and has a black marble idol of the goddess. The Yamunotri temple is a full day's journey from Uttarakhand's main towns — Uttarkashi, Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehradun.
Uttarakhand is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhoomi" due to its religious significance and numerous Hindu temples and pilgrimage sites found throughout the state. As a result, religious tourism forms a major portion of the tourism in the state. Uttarakhand is known for the natural environment of the Himalayas. 2019 Tourist Arrivals Domestic – 40,000,000 per/year and Foreigner – 150,000 per year. Tourism business in Uttarakhand generated ₹ 23,000 crores during 2013–14.
In June 2013, a mid-day cloudburst centered on the North Indian state of Uttarakhand caused devastating floods and landslides, becoming the country's worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami. The rainfall received that month was far greater than the rainfall the state usually received. Debris blocked the rivers, causing major overflow. The main day of the flood was 16 June 2013.
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