 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 kilometres from Rudraprayag, the district headquarter. 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 extreme 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 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.
Uttarakhand, also known as Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" due to its religious significance and numerous Hindu temples and pilgrimage centres found throughout the state. Uttarakhand is known for the natural environment of the Himalayas, the Bhabar and the Terai regions. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north; the Sudurpashchim Province of Nepal to the east; the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the south and Himachal Pradesh to the west and north-west. The state is divided into two divisions, Garhwal and Kumaon, with a total of 13 districts. The winter capital of Uttarakhand is Dehradun, the largest city of the state, which is a rail head. Bhararisain, a town in Chamoli district, is the summer capital of Uttarakhand. The High Court of the state is located in Nainital, but is to be moved to Haldwani in future.
The Chota Char Dham, is an important 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—Yamunotri, Gangotri, 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 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 roughly 1200 years old dedicated to 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 homogenous form of Shiva, the 'Lord of Kedarkhand', the historical name of the region.
Harsil, the Himalayan paradise, 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.
Gomukh, also known as "Gaumukh" or "Gomukhi", is the terminus or pout of the Gangotri Glacier and the source of the Bhagirathi River, one of the primary headstreams of the Ganga River. The word Gomukh/Gaumukh literally means "Mouth of a Cow."
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 savannahs of East Africa.
Yamunotri Temple is situated in the western region of Garhwal Himalayas at an altitude of 3,291 metres (10,797 ft) in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. 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. The actual temple is only accessible by a 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) trek from the town of Hanuman Chatti and a 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) walk from Janki Chatti; horses or palanquins are available for rent. The hike from Hanuman Chatti to Yamunotri takes in views of a number of waterfalls. There are two trekking routes from Hanuman Chatti to Yamunotri; the one along the right bank proceeds via the Markandeya Tirth, where the sage Markandeya wrote the Markandeya Purana. The other route–which lies on the left bank of the river–goes via Kharsali, from where Yamunotri is a five or six hours climb.
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.
Operation Surya Hope was the Indian Army’s Central Command response to the June 2013 North India floods in Uttarakhand. The Uttarakhand flood was caused by record off-season monsoon rains, cloud burst, floods, flash floods, and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), which were possibly induced by climate change. The humanitarian disaster affected millions, stranded over 100,000 pilgrims and tourists in Himalayan religious sites, and killed several thousand people. The Indian Army's Lucknow based Central Command conducted the operation. Surya or Sun, is the emblem of the Central Command and features prominently on the Command's formation sign and flag, which is probably why Central Command chose to name the effort Operation Surya Hope.
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